icicle

American  

[ahy-si-kuhl] / ˈaɪ sɪ kəl /

noun

1. a pendent, tapering mass of ice formed by the freezing of dripping water.

2. a thin strip of paper, plastic, or foil, usually silvery, for hanging on a Christmas tree as decoration.

3. a cold, unemotional person.

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icicle British  

/ ˈaɪsɪkəl /

noun

1. a hanging spike of ice formed by the freezing of dripping water

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Other Word Forms

• icicled adjective

Etymology

Origin of icicle

before 1000; Middle English isikel, Old English īsgicel, equivalent to īs ice + gicel icicle; akin to Old Norse jǫkul mass of ice, glacier

Explanation

An icicle is a long thin piece of ice formed when dripping water freezes, like the icicles you see hanging from houses after a winter storm. Icicle rhymes with bicycle. Under certain conditions, snow or ice will form into icicles. On a winter day, the sun melts snow or ice which begins to drip, especially from the edge of a roof. The melting water then refreezes, slowly building up to form a long, tapered shape. Icicle is slang for a person who is emotionally cold, like the icicle of a friend who ignores you when you need some moral support.

Example Sentences

The next morning, with a quick flip upside down, Epperson had a sweet icicle with a built-in handle, which he dubbed the Epsicle.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

Drops will continue to run down the icicle, freezing at the end, to give the icicle its distinctive shape.

From BBC • Jan. 8, 2025

There were icicle lights outside their rural Georgia home, garland on the banister and stockings hanging above the fireplace.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 21, 2023

It’s usually still an icicle after a two-hour flight.

From Washington Post • Apr. 20, 2023

The world relaxed into a slow, steady beat, like the drip of an icicle on a cold, cloudy day.

From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el