black ice

noun

1. a thin sheet of ice, as on a road surface, usually caused by freezing mist and creating hazardous driving conditions.
2. Oceanography. sea ice that is clear enough to show the color of the water underneath.

black ice

noun

1. a thin transparent layer of new ice on a road or similar surface

Word History and Origins

Origin of black ice¹

An Americanism dating back to 1820–30

Example Sentences

Near the door thousands of stilettos slide and shuffle on black ice, somehow always keeping their immaculate balance.

From The Daily Beast

She halted again and looked at me and at the back of her great eyes gleamed black ice.

From Project Gutenberg

Night fell; the sky became clear as black ice; the dim seas resembled a lair of white bears at play.

From Project Gutenberg

The laugh is still, the noise has fled, and the first sound of the skate on the black ice seems almost a desecration.

From Project Gutenberg

Beyond this we came to a second and wider sheet of hard black ice falling away steeply towards the Sasso Bisolo Glacier.

From Project Gutenberg

The slope, which we found hard black ice, was then snow, and was very soon disposed of.

From Project Gutenberg