n. 1. A person who likes to be active late at night; a night owl.
Syn. -- night owl, nightbird. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. (Zool.) Any of several mainly nocturnal North American goatsuckers, especially Chordeiles minor, or the related European goatsucker Caprimulgus europaeus, also called the nightjar.
Syn. -- bullbat, mosquito hawk. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Thawed p. pr. & vb. n. Thawing. ] [ AS. þāwian, þāwan; akin to D. dovijen, G. tauen, thauen (cf. also verdauen to digest, OHG. douwen, firdouwen), Icel. þeyja, Sw. töa, Dan. töe, and perhaps to Gr. th`kein to melt. √56. ] 1. To melt, dissolve, or become fluid; to soften; -- said of that which is frozen; as, the ice thaws. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To become so warm as to melt ice and snow; -- said in reference to the weather, and used impersonally. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Fig.: To grow gentle or genial. Compare cold{ 4 }, a. and hard{ 6 }, a. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

v. t. To cause (frozen things, as earth, snow, ice) to melt, soften, or dissolve. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The melting of ice, snow, or other congealed matter; the resolution of ice, or the like, into the state of a fluid; liquefaction by heat of anything congealed by frost; also, a warmth of weather sufficient to melt that which is congealed. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Liquefying by heat after having been frozen; thawing; melting. [ archaic ] [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]