noun
glacier
GLAY-sher/ˈɡleɪʃər/
A large mass of ice that moves slowly over land.
The glacier moves slowly down the valley, carrying rocks with it.
Etymology
The French ancestor names ice as a moving mass, rather than just a substance. That distinction remains central to the English sense: a body of ice moving slowly over land.
In context
These thick layers are gradually pressed into glacial ice. A glacier might look like a solid block of ice, but it is actually moving very slowly.
More examples
- Deep cracks make the glacier dangerous to cross.
- Water from melting glaciers feeds the river throughout summer.
- The glacier carved this valley over thousands of years.
Forms
glacier · glaciers
glacial adjective — Relating to glaciers or their effects.
glaciation noun — The formation or spread of glacial ice.
Similar words
- ice sheet
- A glacier covering a vast area of land.
- ice cap
- A dome-shaped glacier covering less land than an ice sheet.