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

He might offer you an icicle treat or ask your opinion on whether a mid-late-morning nap is preferable to a late-mid-afternoon nap.

From Literature

Huge icicles fringed the entrance and the roof.

From Literature

Check out the three-foot icicles dripping from the eaves and keep an eye out for the big boulder by the fire station on the right.

From Los Angeles Times

An icicle chill shot up her spine, but Akira forced herself to wade deeper into the chilly water.

From Literature

“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