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

Example Sentences

“I recognize them from my Fundamentals of Geology class at Swanburne. They come in pairs: One grows up from the ground like a spire; the other hangs from the roof like an icicle.”

From Literature

I can see icicles hanging off the wooden casing of Cleopatra’s Needle.

From Literature

It's being coined the "icicle kick" - the stunning bicycle kick that lit up the Canadian Premier League final.

From BBC

Hanging from the ceiling was a dazzling array of icicles.

From Literature

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

From BBC