pack ice

American  

noun

1. a large area of floating ice formed over a period of many years and consisting of pieces of ice driven together by wind, current, etc.

---

pack ice British  

noun

1. Also called: ice pack. a large area of floating ice, usually occurring in polar seas, consisting of separate pieces that have become massed together

---

pack ice Scientific  

/ păk /

1. The floating sea-ice cover of the polar regions. Driven by winds and ocean currents, pack ice is a mixture of ice fragments of varying size and age that are squeezed together and cover the sea surface with little or no open water. At maximum expansion during the winter, pack ice covers about five percent of Arctic waters and about eight percent of Antarctic waters.

---

Etymology

Origin of pack ice

First recorded in 1840–50

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pack ice

Seals rely on pack ice to give birth, to rest and for protection.

From Barron's ● Feb. 10, 2026

The pack ice again proved formidable, preventing the team from locating the Endurance in 2019.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 29, 2025

“It’s completely sinister to watch,” says wildlife filmmaker Bertie Gregory, who’s spent a decade tracking the orcas, known as B1, a population of pack ice killer whales.

From National Geographic ● Sep. 13, 2023

McNish was on Shackleton's ill-fated voyage, which ended with the expedition vessel being sunk by pack ice in October 1915.

From BBC ● Dec. 12, 2022

A couple of miles offshore, a belt of pack ice and eroded bergs was drifting past, warning everyone of the winter to come.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---