Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - thick

~1 adj 1 »THINGS« a) measuring a particular amount, especially more than usual, between two surfaces or sides  (a thick oak door | Wrap your baby in a thick towel or blanket. | 3 feet/1cm/two inches etc thick)  (In some places, the walls are over two meters thick.)  (The staircase was crumbling, and thick with dust. (=forming a thick layer)) b) measuring more around the middle than usual  (Connect the battery using a thick cable.)  (- opposite thin1 (1)) 2 »PERSON« BrE informal stupid  (Don't think I can't see what's going on - I'm not that thick. | He's a nice guy, but he's a bit thick. | (as) thick as two short planks (=very stupid)) 3 »LIQUID« not solid, but moving or flowing slowly  (For a thicker gravy, add more flour. | thick porridge) 4 »SMOKE/CLOUD ETC« filling the air, and difficult to see through or breathe in  (At the scene of the riot, thick black smoke is still pouring from burning tires. | thick fog)  (The air was thick with exhaust fumes.) 5 be thick on the ground to be present or available in large amounts or numbers  (Cheap houses aren't as thick on the ground as they used to be.)  (- opposite thin on the ground thin1 (12)) 6 »VOICE« a) clearly belonging to a particular place or part of the country  (a thick German/Yorkshire/Brazilian etc accent)  (TV viewers will get just one more chance to hear his thick Scottish accent.) b) not as clear or high as usual, for example because someone has been crying  (Bill's voice was thick and gruff..) 7 »TREES/BUSHES ETC« growing very close together, or having a lot of leaves, so there is not much space in between  (The little animal tried to hide in the thick undergrowth. | a thick forest) 8 »HAIR/FUR ETC« forming a deep, soft covering  (She ran her fingers through her thick brown hair.) 9 be (as) thick as thieves if two people are as thick as thieves, they are very friendly with each other and seem to share a lot of secrets  (I don't trust those two. Lately they've been as thick as thieves.) 10 give sb a thick ear/get a thick ear BrE spoken to hit someone or be hit on the head, as a punishment  (Any more cheek from you and you'll get a thick ear.) 11 have a thick skin to not care if people criticize you or do not like you  (- see also thick­skinned) 12 be thick with sb to be very friendly with someone 13 (it's) a bit thick BrE old-fashioned used to say something is a little unfair or annoying - thickly adv ~2 adv 1 if you spread, cut etc something thick, you spread or cut it in a way that produces a thick layer or piece  (peanut butter spread thick) 2 thick and fast arriving or happening very frequently, in large amounts or numbers  (Competition entries have been coming in thick and fast.)  (- see also lay it on thick lay2) ~3 n 1 be in the thick of sth to be involved in the busiest, most active, most dangerous etc part of a situation  (Following his recent operation, Governor Brown hopes to be back in the thick of the action as soon as possible.) 2 through thick and thin in spite of any difficulties or problems  (stick together through thick and thin)  (As kids we promised to stick together through thick and thin.)