firn
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of firn
1850–55; < German (Swiss), noun use of firn last year's, old; cognate with Old English fyrn former, ancient, Gothic fairneis; akin to Old Norse forn ancient. See before
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.
According to Fahnestock, optical observations can be affected by changing lighting conditions, shadows, cloud cover, and variations in whether firn appears clean or dirty.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 12, 2026
Ice and firn, or dense snow leftover from previous seasons, also disappeared from the ridge.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 18, 2022
During large melt events, meltwater on the surface can seep through the snow and into firn, or a layer of compacted snow that is not yet compressed into glacial ice.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 5, 2021
Johnsen, S. J. Stable isotope homogenization of polar firn and ice.
From Nature ● Feb. 4, 2018
We were on skis, on a good surface of firn, without sastrugi, and solid—that was certain—for five or six thousand feet down.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
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.
