ice shelf

American  

noun

1. an ice sheet projecting into coastal waters so that the end floats.

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ice shelf British  

noun

1. a thick mass of ice that is permanently attached to the land but projects into and floats on the sea

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Etymology

Origin of ice shelf

First recorded in 1910–15

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ice shelf

In the film, Cruise, his face covered in prosthetics, portrays Digger Rockwell, a bombastic Texan oil baron, who causes a global climate meltdown when his company’s activities shakes loose an ice shelf in Greenland.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

First, we’re with Digger on the morning he learns that an ice shelf has broken off his Greenland drilling site.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026

A looming ice shelf in the background is surrounded by phrases including, “A Man. A Plan. A Meltdown,” and “Comedy equals tragedy plus time.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026

"Roughly 90% of the dissolved iron coming out of the ice shelf cavity comes from deep waters and sediments outside the cavity, not from meltwater," Chinni said.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 28, 2026

The open pools gave excellent fishing, and the upper ice shelf protected them perfectly from all enemies.

From Secret of the Woods by William Joseph Long

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