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

On a Alaska sailing, for example, glaciers, fjords, wildlife, and waterfalls are the stars of the show. — Kristy Tolley, Travel + Leisure, 15 Aug. 2026

Parts are forested; some of it is glaciers; massive waterfalls; some is very hilly. — Matt Thompson, SPIN, 14 Aug. 2026

Researchers said glacial isostatic adjustment — the ongoing movement of land on which ice-age glaciers were once found — may or may not have had something to do with the quake. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026

Totality will cross eastern Greenland, western Iceland and northern Spain, offering dramatic low-altitude views of the eclipsed sun above volcanic landscapes, glaciers and medieval cities. — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 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