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Synonyms

glaciate

American  
[gley-shee-eyt, -see-] / ˈgleɪ ʃiˌeɪt, -si- /

verb (used with object)

glaciated, glaciating
  1. to cover with ice or glaciers.

  2. to affect by glacial action.


verb (used without object)

glaciated, glaciating
  1. to become frozen or covered with ice or glaciers.

glaciate British  
/ ˈɡleɪsɪˌeɪt /

verb

  1. to cover or become covered with glaciers or masses of ice

  2. (tr) to subject to the effects of glaciers, such as denudation and erosion

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of glaciate

1615–25; < Latin glaciātus (past participle of glaciāre to freeze), equivalent to glaci ( ēs ) ice + -ātus -ate 1

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:

Around him, candles burn in the frigid breeze and flowers glaciate at their stems.

From Barron's Jan. 26, 2026

The 1858 oil painting presents a panoramic view of the Ecuadorian Andes encompassing the snow-capped volcanic peak at the top, blue glaciated ice below, and towering palm trees lower still.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 31, 2026

The event affected every glaciated region of the state except the Brooks Range.

From Science Daily Jun. 12, 2026

Northern Pakistan is also one of the most glaciated areas in the region, but these are rapidly thinning and retreating because of climate change - meaning rocks, soil, and other debris can be dislodged.

From BBC Aug. 17, 2025

Taiwan's central mountain range is one of the steepest landscapes on Earth and has one of the highest erosion rates of any place outside glaciated or human-influenced areas, Carr said.

From Science Daily Dec. 15, 2023

The lower end of Kerm Land, the mountainous southernmost peninsula of the Karhide semi-continent, is, like the north, glaciated.

From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin

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