meltwater

American

[melt-waw-ter, -wot-er] / ˈmɛltˌwɔ tər, -ˌwɒt ər /

noun

water from melted melt snow or ice.

meltwater British

/ ˈmɛltˌwɔːtə /

noun

melted snow or ice

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of meltwater

First recorded in 1930–35; melt ¹ + water

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Because seawater in Greenland's fjords is warmer and denser than meltwater, it sinks toward the deeper layers.

From Science Daily

These simulations showed that meltwater from other Antarctic regions, including the Ross Ice Shelf, spread throughout the Southern Ocean.

From Science Daily

Streams of meltwater rushed through furrows in the surface.

From Literature

The result can be catastrophic: meltwater turns into glacial lakes which can suddenly burst.

From BBC

This meltwater helps to stabilise river flows during hot, dry summers - until the glacier disappears.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023