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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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Saunders was placed on leave of absence from the commission in 2016 after clashing with church officials over the glacial pace of reforms.
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That natural fountain, which pumps out an estimated 1.6 million gallons of water each day, fed a creek and marsh that drained into Lake Mendota — a remnant of Glacial Lake Yahara.
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Cauldron of Water,’ a deep, glacial lake that lies within the wilderness of the Black Cuillin mountains (take note: many of the roads that run through the mountains are not for the faint-hearted).
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Activists fault the EPA for moving at a glacial pace.
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Six miles through classic glacial topography, the trail tiptoeing along steep moraines and eskers that plunged on both sides into deep kettles, and dipping and climbing between those moraines on rocky, root-rich soil.
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Weakened from the one-two punch, the floating shelf may fracture and allow the glacial ice lodged behind it to flow into the ocean much more rapidly, and raise sea levels.
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Time, even at the glacial pace the European Union operates, is running out.
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Time, even at the glacial pace the European Union operates, is running out.
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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