Definition of glacial
1 : suggestive of ice: such asa : extremely cold : frigid a glacial windb : devoid of warmth and cordiality a glacial handshakec : coldly imperturbable maintained a glacial calm
2 : of a purity marked by the tendency to readily solidify in the form of ice-like crystals glacial acetic acid
3a (1) : of, relating to, or being any of those parts of geologic time from Precambrian onward when a much larger portion of the earth was covered by glaciers than at present (2) capitalized : pleistoceneb : of, relating to, or produced by glaciersc : suggestive of the very slow movement of glaciers progress on the bill has been glacial
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Examples of glacial in a Sentence
Progress on the bill has been glacial.
a glacial weather front coming down from Canada will bring freezing temperatures this weekend
Recent Examples of glacial from the Web
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Kick it off with a conscious decision to be slow, even glacial, to take it personally when things don't go quite your way.
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Kick it off with a conscious decision to be slow, even glacial, to take it personally when things don’t go quite your way.
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This area is unique and world-renowned for its incredible landscapes and glacial lakes, and is home to over 60 native species found nowhere else on earth.
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The world’s rainiest areas may also push north during the winter, said study lead author Aaron Putnam, a glacial geologist at the University of Maine.
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In the 1700s, the Native Alaskans who lived in the area were forced to flee due to glacial advances.
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Legal Aid lawyers say the suit was filed now, in part, because of the glacial pace at which the city was moving to address its failures in responding to a significant lead poisoning problem.
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The beach itself is accessible by a bicycle or shuttle from the visitor’s center and juts out from a range of glacial cliffs.
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The Dwyka is Carboniferous to Permian and was deposited during the glacial cycles that affected this part of Gondwana during that time.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'glacial'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of glacial
Latin glacialis, from glacies
GLACIAL Defined for English Language Learners
glacial
playDefinition of glacial for English Language Learners
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: of or relating to glaciers : produced or caused by glaciers
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: very cold
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: very slow
GLACIAL Defined for Kids
glacial
playDefinition of glacial for Students
1 : of or relating to glaciers glacial ice
2 : very cold
3 : very slow a glacial pace
Learn More about glacial
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See words that rhyme with glacial Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for glacial Spanish Central: Translation of glacial Nglish: Translation of glacial for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of glacial for Arabic speakers
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