ice

[ ahys ]

/ aɪs /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR ice ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the solid form of water, produced by freezing; frozen water.

the frozen surface of a body of water.

any substance resembling frozen water: camphor ice.

a frozen dessert made of sweetened water and fruit juice.

British. ice cream.

icing, as on a cake.

reserve; formality: The ice of his manner betrayed his dislike of the new ambassador.

Slang.

a diamond or diamonds.
protection money paid to the police by the operator of an illicit business.
a fee that a ticket broker pays to a theater manager in order to receive a favorable allotment of tickets.

verb (used with object), iced, ic·ing.

to cover with ice.

to change into ice; freeze.

to cool with ice, as a drink.

to cover (cake, sweet rolls, etc.) with icing; frost.

to refrigerate with ice, as air.

to make cold, as if with ice.

to preserve by placing on ice.

Ice Hockey. (especially in Canada) to put (a team) into formal play.

Slang.

to settle or seal; make sure of, as by signing a contract: We'll ice the deal tomorrow.
to make (a business arrangement) more attractive by adding features or benefits: The star pitcher wouldn't sign his new contract until the team iced it with a big bonus.
to kill, especially to murder: The mobsters threatened to ice him if he went to the police.

Sports Slang. to establish a winning score or insurmountable lead in or otherwise assure victory in (a game or contest): Her second goal iced the game.

verb (used without object), iced, ic·ing.

to change to ice; freeze: The sherbet is icing in the refrigerator.

to be coated with ice (often followed by up): The windshield has iced up.

adjective

of or made of ice: ice shavings; an ice sculpture.

for holding ice and food or drink to be chilled: an ice bucket; an ice chest.

on or done on the ice: ice yachting.

QUIZZES

HEED THE VOX POPULI, AND TAKE THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

Test your memory on these verbal firecrackers from the week of June 29 to July 5!

Question 1 of 7

anchorite

a granular metamorphic rock.

a person who has retired to a solitary place for a life of religious seclusion.

a hobble or fetter for a horse or other animal.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms for ice

break the ice,

to succeed initially; make a beginning.
to overcome reserve, awkwardness, or formality within a group, as in introducing persons: The chairman broke the ice with his warm and very amusing remarks.

cut no ice, Informal. to have no influence or importance; fail to impress: Her father's position cuts no ice with me.

ice it, Slang. stop it; that's enough: You've been complaining all day, so ice it.

ice the puck, Ice Hockey. to hit the puck to the far end of the rink, especially from the defensive area across the offensive area.

on ice, Informal.

with a good chance of success or realization: Now that the contract is on ice we can begin operating again.
out of activity, as in confinement or imprisonment.
in a state of abeyance or readiness: Let's put that topic on ice for the moment.

on thin ice, in a precarious or delicate situation: You may pass the course, but you're on thin ice right now.Also skating on thin ice.

Origin of ice

before 900; 1905–10 for def 8a; Middle English, Old English īs; cognate with German Eis, Old Norse īss

OTHER WORDS FROM ice

ice·less, adjectiveice·like, adjectivere·ice, verb, re·iced, re·ic·ing.un·ice, verb (used with object), un·iced, un·ic·ing.

Words nearby ice

icarus, icbm, icc, icd, icda, ice, ice age, ice ages, ice anchor, ice apron, ice ax

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for break the ice (1 of 2)

ice

/ (aɪs) /

noun

water in the solid state, formed by freezing liquid waterRelated adjective: glacial

a portion of ice cream

slang a diamond or diamonds

the field of play in ice hockey

slang a concentrated and highly potent form of methamphetamine with dangerous side effects

break the ice

to relieve shyness, etc, esp between strangers
to be the first of a group to do something

cut no ice informal to fail to make an impression

on ice in abeyance; pending

on thin ice unsafe or unsafely; vulnerable or vulnerably

the Ice NZ informal Antarctica

verb

(often foll by up, over, etc) to form or cause to form ice; freeze

(tr) to mix with ice or chill (a drink, etc)

(tr) to cover (a cake, etc) with icing

(tr) US slang to kill

mainly Canadian (in ice hockey)

to shoot the puck from one end of the rink to the other
to select which players will play in a game

Derived forms of ice

iceless, adjectiveicelike, adjective

Word Origin for ice

Old English īs; compare Old High German īs, Old Norse īss

British Dictionary definitions for break the ice (2 of 2)

ICE

abbreviation for (in Britain)

Institution of Civil Engineers

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for break the ice

ice

[ īs ]

A solid consisting of frozen water. Ice forms at or below a temperature of 0°C (32°F). Ice expands during the process of freezing, with the result that its density is lower than that of water.

A solid form of a substance, especially of a substance that is a liquid or a gas at room temperature at sea level on Earth. The nuclei of many comets contain methane ice.

Cultural definitions for break the ice

break the ice

To remove the tension at a first meeting, at the opening of a party, etc.: “That joke really broke the ice at the conference; we all relaxed afterward.”

Idioms and Phrases with break the ice (1 of 2)

break the ice

Make a start, pave the way, as in Newton's theories broke the ice for modern physics. This idiom alludes to breaking ice in a channel so that a ship can pass. [Early 1600s] Also see break ground.

Relax a tense or very formal situation, as in Someone at the conference table will have to break the ice. [Early 1600s]

Idioms and Phrases with break the ice (2 of 2)

ice

see break the ice; cut no ice; on ice; on thin ice; put on ice; tip of the iceberg.

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

ice