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

Filmmaker Sara Dosa is going from the molten to the melting, from fiery volcanoes to dissolving glaciers. —Matthew Carey, Deadline, 20 Mar. 2026

There are more than 7,000 glaciers capping the hills of Gilgit-Baltistan, and travelers on the new trip can trek alongside them following visits to ancient Buddhist monuments and mud-brick forts. —The Editors, Outside, 18 Mar. 2026

The trip was breathtaking, from towering glaciers and misty fjords to wildlife sightings that felt straight out of a nature documentary. —Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 16 Mar. 2026

As of 2021, California had already lost roughly 75% of its Sierra Nevada glaciers compared with the beginning of the 20th century. —Sacbee.com, 14 Mar. 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