glacier

noun

gla·​cier ˈglā-shər How to pronounce glacier (audio)
also
-zhər How to pronounce glacier (audio)
 especially British  ˈgla-sē-ə,
 or  ˈglā-sē-ə
: a large body of ice moving slowly down a slope or valley or spreading outward on a land surface

Examples of glacier in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Banff National Park — with its majestic mountains, turquoise water lakes, glaciers and rich wildlife — is by far Canada’s most popular national park, drawing more than 4 million visitors each year from all over the world. Norimitsu Onishi, New York Times, 29 May 2024 At roughly 80 miles across, Thwaites is the widest glacier in the world and roughly the size of Florida. Joe Hernandez, NPR, 21 May 2024 And for the first time, there's visible evidence that shows warm seawater pumping underneath the glacier. Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 21 May 2024 Explore a Frozen World Summer is the time to visit the Mendenhall Glacier — a 13-mile-long glacier located outside Juneau, Alaska — and the spectacular blue ice caves that have naturally formed inside. 19. Sonal Dutt, Peoplemag, 18 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for glacier 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'glacier.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, from Middle French dialect (Franco-Provençal), from glace ice, from Latin glacies; akin to Latin gelu frost — more at cold

First Known Use

1744, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of glacier was in 1744

Dictionary Entries Near glacier

Cite this Entry

“Glacier.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glacier. Accessed 6 Jun. 2024.

Kids Definition

glacier

noun
gla·​cier ˈglā-shər How to pronounce glacier (audio)
: a large body of ice moving slowly down a slope or valley or spreading outward on a land surface

More from Merriam-Webster on glacier

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