ice age

noun

1

: a time of widespread glaciation

2

Ice Age : the Pleistocene glacial epoch

Examples of ice age in a Sentence

changes that occurred during the last ice age

Recent Examples on the Web

With methane—a potent greenhouse gas—ousted from the atmosphere, and the creation of the UV-protective ozone layer (which still shields us from the sun’s rays today), the Earth began to cool and experienced one of its earliest ice ages. — Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026

The ecological consequences of losing what remains Some coastal old-growth stands on Vancouver Island have not experienced a major disturbance since the end of the last ice age some 12,000 years ago. — Annika Hammerschlag, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026

Additionally, the lake, formed thousands of years ago as glaciers carved the Great Lakes basin during the last ice age, is a prime destination for boating, fishing, bird-watching and swimming, with parks and beaches along its shores. — Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026

Ned Davis Research chief global strategist Tim Hayes also maintains a Secular Bear Watch model meant to foretell equity ice ages. — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1855, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for ice age

• disengage
• interstage
• macrophage
• multistage
• alienage
• assuage
• backstage
• bocage
• downstage
• engage
• enrage
• leafage

Kids Definition

ice age

noun

1

: a time of widespread glaciation

2

capitalized I&A : the most recent such period in the earth's past