ice floe

noun

Definition of ice floe

: a usually large flat free mass of floating sea ice

Examples of ice floe in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Or Knut, of the Berlin Zoo, who appeared on an ice floe on the cover of Vanity Fair alongside Leonardo DiCaprio (and whose life in the public eye and untimely death earned a comparison to Marilyn Monroe). — Katherine Cusumano, Outside Online, "How Polar Bears Became Avatars for the Climate Crisis," 28 Mar. 2021 The unusual attraction, which opened Friday, features 21 guest rooms that look out over an indoor enclosure where the bears gambol across a floor painted to look like an ice floe. — Washington Post, "China’s newest attraction, a hotel with live polar bears, is already fully booked," 18 Mar. 2021 By the early 21st century, pictures of the animal, such as on a seemingly diminishing ice floe, frequently associated it with catastrophic climate change and the endangerment of the species itself, as the art historian Nicholas Mirzoeff has noted. — Anne Collins Goodyear, The Conversation, "Polar bears have captivated artists’ imaginations for centuries, but what they’ve symbolized has changed over time," 26 Feb. 2021 In March 2019, the Coast Guard and various other agencies rescued 46 ice fisherman from an ice floe, NBC News reported. — Bradford Betz, Fox News, "Cleveland Coast Guard rescues 10 people stranded on ice flow near park," 22 Feb. 2021 More than two dozen ice anglers were rescued after an ice floe broke off near Duluth’s shoreline last week. — Associated Press, Detroit Free Press, "Ice on Lake Superior up nearly 25% amid subfreezing temps," 19 Feb. 2021 That warning comes after more than two dozen ice anglers needed rescue after an ice floe broke off near Duluth's shoreline last week. — Brooks Johnson, Star Tribune, "Cold weather, cold water: Lake Superior adding ice fast," 15 Feb. 2021 At the beginning of the expedition in September 2019, the ship struggled to find an ice floe to use as a mooring that was thick and stable enough to last through months of drifting. — New York Times, "Shift to a Not-So-Frozen North Is Well Underway, Scientists Warn," 8 Dec. 2020 Instead, in late May, the Polarstern left its ice floe to rendezvous with two smaller ships carrying Shupe and others off the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. — Henry Fountain New York Times, Star Tribune, "Expedition hailed as 'historic milestone of Arctic research'," 13 Oct. 2020

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

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Last Updated

9 Apr 2021

Cite this Entry

“Ice floe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ice%20floe. Accessed 7 May. 2021.

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More Definitions for ice floe

ice floe

noun

English Language Learners Definition of ice floe

: a large, flat area of ice floating in the ocean

See the full definition for ice floe in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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