ice sheet
Americannoun
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a broad, thick sheet of ice covering an extensive area for a long period of time.
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a glacier covering a large fraction of a continent.
noun
Etymology
Origin of ice sheet
First recorded in 1870–75
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.
One of the biggest obstacles has been the lack of realistic long term climate records needed to test ice sheet behavior under ancient conditions.
From Science Daily ● May 29, 2026
A new study published in Nature Geoscience suggests Antarctica's ice sheet underwent a dramatic change about one million years ago, becoming much more responsive to shifts in Earth's climate.
From Science Daily ● May 29, 2026
Researchers say the findings are important not only for improving climate and ice sheet models, but also for coastal planning and adaptation efforts around the world that rely on accurate sea level rise projections.
From Science Daily ● May 10, 2026
Their chemical signatures reveal when the surface was last exposed to sunlight, helping pinpoint past periods when the ice sheet disappeared.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 18, 2026
“High peaks, impassable cliffs, steep snow-slopes, and sharply descending glaciers could be seen in all directions, with stretches of snow-plain overlaying the ice sheet of the interior.”
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
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.
