igloo

American  

[ig-loo] / ˈɪg lu /

Sometimes iglu

noun

plural

igloos

1. an Inuit house, being a dome-shaped hut usually built of blocks of hard snow.

2. Informal. any dome-shaped construction thought to resemble an igloo.

   immense silos topped with steel igloos.

3. Military. a dome-shaped building for the storage of rockets or other munitions.

4. an excavation made by a seal in the snow over its breathing hole in the ice.

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igloo British  

/ ˈɪɡluː /

noun

1. a dome-shaped Inuit house, usually built of blocks of solid snow

2. a hollow made by a seal in the snow over its breathing hole in the ice

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Etymology

Origin of igloo

First recorded in 1855–60, igloo is from the Inuit word iglu “house”

Example Sentences

The hotel’s rooftop bar hosts a New Year’s Eve party, which recently featured heated private igloos and 360-degree views of Manhattan’s fireworks show.

From The Wall Street Journal

An Orkney stonemason has turned "snow mason" to build an impressive igloo with a working fire and chimney.

From BBC

The polar station resembles an igloo placed on top of a large buoy.

From Barron's

Being in Canada, you weren’t in an igloo somewhere; you were living 50 miles from the border.

From Los Angeles Times

He said broken window seals have also left his bedroom "like an igloo" at night.

From BBC