periglacial

American

[per-i-glay-shuhl] / ˌpɛr ɪˈgleɪ ʃəl /

adjective

Geology.

occurring or operating adjacent to the margin of a glacier.

periglacial British

/ ˌpɛrɪˈɡleɪʃəl /

adjective

relating to a region bordering a glacier

periglacial climate

"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 periglacial

First recorded in 1925–30; peri- + glacial

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.

See Examples For:

periglacial

It also protected what's known as the periglacial environment, which includes things like permafrost - water trapped in frozen soil.

From BBC ● Apr. 10, 2026

"We are left not knowing what criteria will be used, not knowing which technical bodies will be involved, and clearly, any glacier and any periglacial environment could be at risk," he says.

From BBC ● Apr. 10, 2026

"The primary function of all glaciers and the entire periglacial environment is to act as a freshwater reservoir," Agostina Rossi Serra, a biologist working with Greenpeace said.

From BBC ● Apr. 9, 2026

"The periglacial environment, apart from being water reserves because they consist of water inside, undergoes a gradual thaw that feeds the rivers and streams of our country," she explains.

From BBC ● Apr. 9, 2026

During the last ice age it experienced what geologists call a periglacial climate—a zone at the edge of an ice sheet characterized by frequent freeze-thaw cycles that fractured the rock.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson

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