igloo

noun

ig·​loo ˈi-(ˌ)glü 

plural igloos

1

: a usually dome-shaped dwelling of arctic regions that is usually made of blocks of snow or ice when built for temporary purposes or of sod, wood, or stone when permanent and that is typically associated with the Indigenous Inuit, Inupiat, and Yupik peoples of Canada, Greenland, Alaska, and eastern Siberia

2

: a building or structure shaped like a dome

Illustration of igloo

• igloo 1

Examples of igloo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As the adults worked, the kids dove into the drifts, building igloos and tunnels. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2026

The final effect must have been striking—like igloos made of bone rather than blocks of ice. — Literary Hub, 1 May 2026

By then, the car was covered in snow, the windshield blitzed in white, yet, inside this igloo, the man was at ease. — Weike Wang, New Yorker, 17 May 2026

The Pharmalot castle this morning, in fact, resembles an igloo. — Ed Silverman, STAT, 23 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Inuit iglu house

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

igloo

noun

ig·​loo ˈig-lü 

plural igloos

: an Inuit house usually made of wood, sod, or stone when permanent or of blocks of snow or ice in the form of a dome when built for temporary use