v. [f. THICK a. + -EN5. Cf. ON. þykkn-a, f. þykk adj. THICK.] To make or become thick or thicker.
1. trans. To make dense in consistence; to coagulate, inspissate. Also fig.
c. 1425. trans. Arderne’s Treat. Fistula, 30. Vnto þat þe watrynes of þe Iuyse be somewhat þikned.
1552. Huloet, Thycken or congeale, congelo.
1616. Surfl. & Markh., Country Farme, 64. Heat doth safegard and thicken the milk.
1698. Fryer, Acc. E. India & P., 353. By indulging his Body he thickens his Understanding.
1771. Mrs. Haywood, New Present, 44. It is a very good thing to thicken gravy with.
1801. C. Dibdin, Tour, I. 356. The illuminati, who generally thicken in the clear, so as to confound the business, that a man of plain sense can make nothing out of them.
1866. Rogers, Agric. & Prices, I. xiii. 221. Oatmeal was used scantily, but generally for thickening soup.
b. intr. To increase in density or consistence; also, to become turbid or cloudy. Also fig.
1598. Epulario, I j b. Set it all night to thicken … in a cold place.
1660. F. Brooke, trans. Le Blanc’s Trav., 19. A licquor, or gumme, which thickens of it selfe.
1718. Prior, Solomon, I. 355. Water stopt gives birth To grass and plants, and thickens into earth.
1888. Besant, 50 Years Ago, vii. 121. There comes a time when the brow clouds, and the speech thickens, and the tongue refuses to act.
2. intr. To become dark, obscure, or opaque; of the weather: to become misty.
1605. Shaks., Macb., III. ii. 50. Light thickens,… Good things of Day begin to droope, and drowse. Ibid. (1606), Ant. & Cl., II. iii. 27. Thy Luster thickens, When he shines by.
1670. Dryden, 1st Pt. Conq. Granada, II. i. I’ll face this Storm that thickens in the Wind.
1784. Cook’s Voy. Pacific, VI. iii. III. 239. The weather still thickening, and preventing a nearer approach to the land.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. xxv. 189. As we approached the summit the air thickened more and more.
3. trans. To make close or dense in disposition of parts or in texture; to fill up the interstices or intervals of. ? Obs.
1575. Laneham, Lett. (1871), 8. Seauen posts on a side, that stood a twelue foot a sunder, thikned betweene with well proportioned Pillars turnd.
1620. T. Granger, Div. Logike, 30. The clouds are not thickned in the skie: therfore it will not be raine.
1755. Johnson, Dict., Thicken, v.,… to make frequent, to make close or numerous.
1812. Brackenridge, Views Louisiana (1814), 116. It is perhaps good policy in our government … to thicken the frontier, and to suffer the intermediate space to fill up gradually.
4. intr. To become crowded, numerous, or frequent; to gather thickly. Also † To move in great numbers, to flock, troop (obs. poet.).
1726. Pope, Odyss., XVIII. 49. Well pleased they spring Swift from their seats, and thickening form a ring.
1771. Junius Lett., liv. (1820), 286. Honours shall … thicken over him.
1789. Mme. D’Arblay, Diary, 19 Nov. The crowd every instant thickening.
1838. Dickens, Nich. Nick., liv. Misfortune and discovery are thickening about your head.
5. a. trans. To increase the substance between opposite surfaces of; to make thicker in measure.
c. 1611. Chapman, Iliad, XIII. 123. Lance was lin’d with lance; Shields, thickned with opposed shields.
1777. Sheridan, Trip to Scarborough, I. ii. The calves of these stockings are thicken’d a little too much.
1858. Glenny, Gard. Every-day Bk., 244/1. The earth in the alleys [is to be] thrown up to thicken the soil above them a little.
1884. Bower & Scott, De Bary’s Phaner., 229. In most cases the walls are thickened by spiral fibres.
b. intr. To become thicker in measurement; to increase in girth or bulk.
1763. Mills, Syst. Pract. Husb., IV. 35. That their roots … may have full room to thicken and run downward.
1805. Pike, Sources Mississ. (1810), 42. Ice in the river thickening.
1872. R. B. Smyth, Mining Statist., 21. The seams … thicken in one place and thin out in another.
c. trans. fig. To make more substantial; to strengthen, confirm.
1604. Shaks., Oth., III. iii. 430. This may helpe to thicken other proofes, That do demonstrate thinly.
1893. C. W. Wendte, in Reasonable Relig., 73. The philosophers … are thickening up their systems … with scientific facts.
6. intr. fig. To become more complex or intricate (esp. said of a plot); to increase in intensity.
1671. Villiers (Dk. Buckhm.), Rehearsal, III. ii. (Arb.), 81. Ay, now the Plot thickens very much upon us.
1697. Dryden, Æneid, IX. 908. The combat thickens, like the storm that flies.
1810. Scott, Lady of L., I. ii. The cry, That thickened as the chase drew nigh.
1859. Kingsley, Misc., I. i. 16. As the quarrel thickened and neared.
Hence Thickened ppl. a., that is made thick or thicker, in various senses.
c. 1611. Chapman, Iliad, XIX. 368. A bright thickned bush of golden haire.
1667. Milton, P. L., XI. 742. The thick’nd Skie Like a dark Ceeling stood.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., IV. 386. Mix it with thicken’d Juice of sodden Wines.
1861. Bentley, Man. Bot., 401. Plants with succulent or thickened leaves.
1891. W. H. Flower, Horse, iv. 153. Above they have thickened heads, which articulate in the usual manner with the carpal bones.
1900. Daily News, 17 April, 7/4. With solids and pneumatics [tyres], both of the wired-on and thickened-edge varieties.
