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

Between roughly 720 and 635 million years ago, glaciers reached the tropics, and some scientists think the entire planet froze over, a scenario called Snowball Earth. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 6 Nov. 2026

Other finalists include photos of mist rolling over hills in Vietnam, a massive chunk of ice calving from a glacier in Argentina and smoke from wildfires obscuring the New York City skyline. — Jack Guy, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2026

Harlan Ulmer, 20, is a student at Colorado State University who has photographed the glaciers annually since 2022 and volunteers with McGrath’s research project. — ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026

Authorities said the flooding was caused by the collapse of a glacier. — CBS News, 22 Oct. 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