Standard Lemma guide

thickener

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • CMU ARPABET: TH IH1 K AH0 N ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

That which thickens.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Any substance added to something in order to thicken it; a thickening agent; a binder.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: liaison

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

any material used to thicken

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • starch is used in cooking as a thickening

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: thickening

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: material, stuff

History

Etymology

From thicken + -er.

Across languages

Translations

18 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 增稠劑 /增稠剂 (zēngchóujì) — thickening agent
  • Czech: zahušťovadlo — thickening agent
  • Finnish: sakeutusaine — thickening agent
  • Finnish: sakeute — thickening agent
  • French: épaississant — thickening agent
  • German: Verdickungsmittel — thickening agent
  • German: Bindemittel — thickening agent
  • German: Geliermittel — thickening agent
  • German: Gelbildner — thickening agent
  • German: Dickungsmittel — thickening agent
  • Kazakh: қоюландырғыш (qoülandyrğyş) — thickening agent
  • Polish: zagęstnik — thickening agent
  • Polish: zagęszczacz — thickening agent
  • Russian: загусти́тель (zagustítelʹ) — thickening agent
  • Spanish: espesador — thickening agent
  • Spanish: espesante — thickening agent
  • Swedish: förtjockningsmedel — thickening agent
  • Welsh: tewychydd — thickening agent