glacier

American  

[gley-sher] / ˈgleɪ ʃər /

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.

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glacier British  

/ 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 )

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glacier Scientific  

/ glā′shər /

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.

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glacier Cultural  

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.

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Discover More

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

Etymology

Origin of glacier

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

Explanation

A glacier is a very large ice mass, sometimes miles and miles long. Glaciers might not seem all that exciting at first, but people are paying close attention to them because their melting is an indication of climate change. Most glaciers on Earth are found around the North and South poles, but every continent except for Australia has glaciers somewhere in its high mountain ranges. People often want to go see glaciers because they're beautiful, and some you can actually hike across. Luckily, if you get thirsty glaciers are the planet’s largest reservoir of freshwater. You’ll just have to find some way of melting them . . .

Example Sentences

Ochwat and study co author Ted Scambos, a senior research scientist at the University of Colorado Boulder, said new satellite technologies could significantly improve scientists' understanding of rapid glacier retreat.

From Science Daily • May 19, 2026

Some have raised safety concerns of potential "traffic jams" on Everest after delays caused by a large, dangerous chunk of glacier blocking the route up the mountain from Base Camp in Nepal.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

Between blocks of talks, attendees partake in activities from the glacier show-and-tell to an iNaturalist BioBlitz in Stanley Park to a field trip to the local Renaissance faire.

From Slate • May 8, 2026

He also pushed through a contentious glacier law last week opening parts of the Andes to copper mining.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

The great multiple glacier we are on feeds down into the valley from the west, and we are on its extreme eastern edge.

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

Related Words

• ice floe
• iceberg