ice cap

Definition of ice cap

1 : a cover of perennial ice and snow specifically : a glacier forming on an extensive area of relatively level land and flowing outward from its center

2 : an ice bag shaped to the head

Examples of ice cap in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Meanwhile, the planet’s ice sheets will continue to melt, leading to ever-higher sea levels, as will the Arctic ice cap. — Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, "What Will Another Decade of Climate Crisis Bring?," 5 Jan. 2020 Scientists monitoring the ice cap's progress say it's moved beyond a simple glacial surge. — Chelsea Harvey, Scientific American, "A Russian Ice Cap Is Collapsing--It Could Be a Warning," 23 Dec. 2019 Geologists have seen for the first time rapid ice loss at the Vavilov ice cap in the Arctic Circle. — Fox News, "New ‘ice river’ detected at Arctic glacier adds to rising seas, scientists say," 18 Dec. 2019 Retreating ice caps brought the warm and wet conditions of the Holocene, allowing for the rise and spread of agriculture. — Jay Bennett, Smithsonian, "The Ten Best Science Books of 2019," 11 Dec. 2019 Use tip-ups to suspend large, dead sucker minnows within five feet of the ice cap. — Outdoor Life, "3 Killer Ice Fishing Tactics For Mid-Winter Pike, Walleyes, and Panfish," 17 Jan. 2020 But few landscapes are more dynamic than the Arctic ice cap, a mosaic of small floes only a few kilometers across. — Quanta Magazine, "The Voyage to the End of Ice," 16 Jan. 2020 The Red Planet has ice caps on its north and south poles, which grow in winter and melt some in summer. — Shannon Stirone, Wired, "Space Photos of the Week: Postcards From a Martian Winter," 4 Jan. 2020 Eventually these layers reach the surface of the ice cap with their loads of meteorites and the wind bares them to the sky. — Barry Lopez, Harper's magazine, "Polar Light," 10 Jan. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ice cap.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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ice calorimeter

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Last Updated

12 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Ice cap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ice%20cap. Accessed 17 Feb. 2020.

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