glacier

[gley-sher]

noun

1. an extended mass of ice formed from snow falling and accumulating over the years and moving very slowly, either descending from high mountains, as in valley glaciers, or moving outward from centers of accumulation, as in continental glaciers.

glacier

/ ˈɡlæsɪə, ˈɡleɪs- /

noun

1. a slowly moving mass of ice originating from an accumulation of snow. It can either spread out from a central mass ( continental glacier ) or descend from a high valley ( alpine glacier )

glacier

1. A large mass of ice moving very slowly through a valley or spreading outward from a center. Glaciers form over many years from packed snow in areas where snow accumulates faster than it melts. A glacier is always moving, but when its forward edge melts faster than the ice behind it advances, the glacier as a whole shrinks backward.

glacier

1. A large mass of ice formed over many years that does not melt during the summer. Glaciers move slowly over an area of land such as a mountain valley.

A significant percentage of the water of the Earth is locked up in glaciers.

Glaciers exist in high mountains throughout the temperate zones and cover most of Antarctica. Glaciers recede during warm periods and can expand during cold periods, creating ice ages.

Other Word Forms

• glaciered adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of glacier¹

1735–45; < dialectal French, derivative of Old French glace ice < Late Latin glacia (for Latin glaciēs )

Word History and Origins

Origin of glacier¹

C18: from French (Savoy dialect), from Old French glace ice, from Late Latin glacia, from Latin glaciēs ice

Example Sentences

The Mendenhall Glacier, one of the biggest tourist attractions in the region, is part of the Juneau Ice Field, a mass of interconnected glaciers that straddles the boundaries of Alaska and British Columbia, Canada.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

First-time visitors have been awestruck by pristine fjords and magnificent glaciers, gushing over stunning, untouched landscape.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

There are similar stories for many glaciers all over the planet, because these frozen rivers of ice are retreating - fast.

Read more on BBC

The remnants of these glaciers, which have already shrunk dramatically since the late 1800s, are retreating year after year, and are projected to melt completely this century as global temperatures continue to rise.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In addition to climbing the challenging peaks, mountaineers also often have to navigate the Palisades Glacier, one of the last true glaciers remaining in California.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• ice floe 
• iceberg