igloo
Americannoun
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an Inuit house, being a dome-shaped hut usually built of blocks of hard snow.
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Informal. any dome-shaped construction thought to resemble an igloo.
immense silos topped with steel igloos.
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Military. a dome-shaped building for the storage of rockets or other munitions.
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an excavation made by a seal in the snow over its breathing hole in the ice.
noun
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a dome-shaped Inuit house, usually built of blocks of solid snow
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a hollow made by a seal in the snow over its breathing hole in the ice
Etymology
Origin of igloo
First recorded in 1855–60, igloo is from the Inuit word iglu “house”
Explanation
An igloo is a type of hut built from snow, mainly by Inuits. An igloo has a domed shape and is made of compacted bricks of snow. Igloos, which are entirely built of snow blocks, have mostly been constructed by the Inuit tribes that live in parts of Canada and Greenland. Other Inuit groups have used snow, instead, to insulate homes made from other materials. Some igloos are built for temporary shelter, while others are permanent, warm housing in very cold climates. The noun igloo comes from an Inuit word, iglu, which means simply "house," no matter what it's constructed from.
Vocabulary lists containing igloo
Civilizations of the Americas, Lessons 3–4
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The Inuit Thought of It
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In a large, white Igloo cooler, the gobies teemed in one corner, blending into rocks and sand that lined the bottom.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2025
Benoiston created the Igloo Beach Lodge in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica, with 24 vine-covered igloos surrounding a small pool.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 17, 2023
How does one cram the time capsule of an entire seasoning and saucing life into a 32-quart Igloo?
From Salon • Aug. 14, 2022
The Palmetto State Armory, a firearms company, markets a “Big Igloo Aloha” AK-47-style assault rifle adorned with such a floral print, which the report said was a clear reference to the Boogaloo Movement.
From New York Times • Jul. 27, 2022
“We could go to the Igloo and see the Penguins.”
From "Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key" by Jack Gantos
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
