glacier

noun

gla·​cier ˈglā-shər 

also

-zhər 

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

Tracy Arm, southeast of Juneau, is a roughly 30-mile (50-kilometer) fjord that features two tidewater glaciers — the North and South Sawyer — and wildlife, including seals and bears. —ABC News, 12 Apr. 2026

Then, about 20,000 years ago the Laurentide continental glacier moved into the area, pushing rocks, soil, and other debris, eventually damming Pine Creek and forming an expansive lake. —Anthony Fredericks, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2026

Eleven years after making the tsunami film, The Impossible, Bayona set his lens upon this tragedy, where 16 passengers were marooned in the icy embrace of an Andean glacier after a Uruguayan plane accident. —James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Apr. 2026

Glaciology experts have warned that climate change is already causing glaciers to retreat at an accelerated pace. —Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026

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

Kids Definition

glacier

noun

gla·​cier ˈglā-shər 

: a large body of ice moving slowly down a slope or valley or spreading outward on a land surface