floe

noun \ ˈflō \

Updated on: 17 Apr 2018

Definition of floe

1 : floating ice formed in a large sheet on the surface of a body of water

2 : ice floe

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Recent Examples of floe from the Web

First, Schmidt needed a method to distinguish algae growing under the ice from those that thrive in open seas and in the transitional areas in between—a seasonal landscape of frozen floes and melting ice known as the marginal ice zone (MIZ).

— randall hyman, Science | AAAS, "Polar sea ice leads to more productive oceans," 6 Apr. 2018
The multimillion-dollar plane was damaged during the incident and can't fly on its own power off the floe, a Bald Mountain representative said Wednesday.

— laurel andrews, Anchorage Daily News, "Man struck in head by plane during Navy training exercise in the frozen Arctic Ocean," 28 Mar. 2018
And, if Minervudottir’s tale never quite coheres, never quite touches the rest of the book, then her very ice-floe remoteness becomes a stark reminder of our society’s detachment from a world in which a woman could simply and happily be left alone.

— naomi alderman, New York Times, "A Novel That Asks, What if Abortion Were Again Illegal?," 22 Jan. 2018
On a bone-chilling afternoon, teams of two divers dove among the floes while a third diver sat ready in case his help was required.

— author: dan lamothe, Alaska Dispatch News, "In a changing Arctic, a lone Coast Guard icebreaker maneuvers through ice and geopolitics," 5 Sep. 2017
On a bone-chilling afternoon, teams of two divers dove among the floes while a third diver sat ready in case his help was required.

— author: dan lamothe, Alaska Dispatch News, "In a changing Arctic, a lone Coast Guard icebreaker maneuvers through ice and geopolitics," 5 Sep. 2017
On a bone-chilling afternoon, teams of two divers dove among the floes while a third diver sat ready in case his help was required.

— author: dan lamothe, Alaska Dispatch News, "In a changing Arctic, a lone Coast Guard icebreaker maneuvers through ice and geopolitics," 5 Sep. 2017
On a bone-chilling afternoon, teams of two divers dove among the floes while a third diver sat ready in case his help was required.

— author: dan lamothe, Alaska Dispatch News, "In a changing Arctic, a lone Coast Guard icebreaker maneuvers through ice and geopolitics," 5 Sep. 2017
On a bone-chilling afternoon, teams of two divers dove among the floes while a third diver sat ready in case his help was required.

— author: dan lamothe, Alaska Dispatch News, "In a changing Arctic, a lone Coast Guard icebreaker maneuvers through ice and geopolitics," 5 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'floe.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of floe

probably from Norwegian flo flat layer

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First Known Use: 1817

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Other Oceanography Terms

littoral, sound

FLOE Defined for English Language Learners

floe

noun

Definition of floe for English Language Learners

: a sheet or mass of floating ice

FLOE Defined for Kids

floe

noun \ ˈflō \

Definition of floe for Students

: a sheet or mass of floating ice

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