ice-free

[ahys-free, -free]

adjective

1. free of ice.

2. (of a harbor or other body of water) free at all times of the year of any ice that would impede navigation.

Word History and Origins

Origin of ice-free¹

First recorded in 1890–95; ice + -free

Example Sentences

“It means that when these glaciers die off, we will be the first humans to see ice-free peaks in Yosemite,” said Andrew Jones, a researcher at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, who led the study.

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The decline is tied to the amount of time the bay is now ice-free, a period that is getting longer as the climate warms.

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An ice-free Arctic could significantly impact the ecosystem and Earth's climate by changing weather patterns.

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However, the new study showed that as the Arctic warms, snow- and ice-free areas increase, leading to an increase in dust emissions.

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The Arctic is warming at least twice as fast as the rest of the planet, causing sea ice to melt and raising the risk of an ice-free Arctic summer.

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