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

As the oceans absorb much of this excess heat, warmer seawater expands and takes up more space, while melting glaciers and ice sheets add even more water. — Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026

Surrounded by the Chugach Mountains, the town offers easy access to hiking trails, glacier views, and outdoor recreation year-round. — Abby Price, Travel + Leisure, 30 July 2026

The Nordic nation has already bid farewell to dozens of its smaller glaciers – the first to go being Okjökull (also known as Ok glacier), in 2014. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 28 July 2026

The butterflies have been making this migration for as long as 20 millennia, once finding paths to and from the fields gouged out by glaciers retreating with the spring during the last Ice Age. — Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 28 July 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