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

But images taken by satellite and plane between November and December 2022 indicate that the glacier retreated nearly half a mile per day at some points, according to the paper. —Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2025

The loss of sea ice in the ocean next to Hektoria, believed to have been driven by ocean warmth, allowed wave swells to reach the fast ice and break it up, leaving the glacier exposed to ocean forces. —Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025

But the landscapes are sublime—rugged peaks, green pastures, glaciers groaning on high—and few destinations make accessing such terrain so easy. —Lucy Kehoe, AFAR Media, 31 Oct. 2025

Iceland's unique environment includes an active volcano, natural hot springs, thousands of picturesque waterfalls and glaciers – including Vatnajökull, which takes up 8% of the country's land area. —Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 30 Oct. 2025

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