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drift ice

American

noun

detached floating ice in masses that drift with the wind or ocean currents, as in the polar seas.

drift ice British

noun

masses of ice floating in the open sea

"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

Etymology

Origin of drift ice

First recorded in 1590–1600

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.

See Examples For:

drift ice

Trains and flights were also experiencing delays, while authorities reported drift ice on the Danube and the Tisza rivers, where icebreakers have been put on alert.

From Barron's ● Jan. 13, 2026

They are generally slightly smaller and, unlike solely land breeding seals found in the British Isles, can give birth to young on both drift ice and on land.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 27, 2024

Officials said they believe the killer whales were able to free themselves from the drift ice as gaps between them grew.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 7, 2024

A pod of killer whales appear to have become stuck in drift ice off the coast of Japan.

From BBC ● Feb. 6, 2024

Laptyev, started from the Lena in 1739, but encountered masses of drift ice in Chatanga bay, and with this ended the voyages to the westward of the Lena.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 6 "Geodesy" to "Geometry" by Various

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023