Definition of glacier
: a large body of ice moving slowly down a slope or valley or spreading outward on a land surface
Updated on: 12 Aug 2018
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Recent Examples of glacier from the Web
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The shells contained a disproportionate volume of oxygen−16, a lighter form (or isotope) of the element that is found in high levels in glaciers.
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But this was no typical John Doe case: The man had been dead for about 5300 years, frozen and perfectly preserved by a mountain glacier that had started to melt.
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Researchers at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography have discovered that an Arctic glacier melt played a major role in Europe’s cooler climate 13,000 years ago.
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Ludovico even played the piece live on Arctic waters, as glaciers calved in the distance.
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In general, the journey to the new hut is best attempted by experienced backcountry travelers or skiers who are familiar with glacier travel and avalanche terrain.
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Glacier Park’s glaciers are melting so fast, the National Park Service predicts they’ll be gone in 12 years.
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The scientists were looking at the role the ocean plays in causing glaciers to weaken when the discovery was made.
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In 1986, the Begich Boggs visitor center at Alaska's Chugach National Forest opened to highlight the Portage glacier.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'glacier.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of glacier
French, from Middle French dialect (Franco-Provençal), from glace ice, from Latin glacies; akin to Latin gelu frost — more at cold
Other Geology Terms
anthracite, boulder, cwm, erratic, igneous, intrusive, mesa, sedimentary, silt, swale
GLACIER Defined for English Language Learners
Definition of glacier for English Language Learners
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: a very large area of ice that moves slowly down a slope or valley or over a wide area of land
GLACIER Defined for Kids
Definition of glacier for Students
: a large body of ice moving slowly down a slope or over a wide area of land
Learn More about glacier
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See words that rhyme with glacier Spanish Central: Translation of glacier Nglish: Translation of glacier for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of glacier for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about glacier
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