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ice sheet

noun
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Definition of ice sheet

: ice cap sense 1

Examples of ice sheet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Keep in mind, however, that any ice sheet can have thinner areas. — Popular Science, "Everything you need to know before playing on that frozen pond," 8 Jan. 2020 The Oval has Utah’s only 400-meter speed skating oval and two international-sized ice sheets as well as a state-of-the-art four-lane 442-meter running track. — Tanya Edwards, refinery29.com, "Where Does Netflix’s Spinning Out Take Place?," 1 Jan. 2020 The type of snow that falls on the ice sheet differs between summer and winter, making each year visible in the cores as a distinct ring. — David James, Anchorage Daily News, "In Greenland’s ice, the world’s past, present and future," 21 Dec. 2019 Earlierthis month,nearly 100 polar scientists detailed how the Greenland ice sheet’s losses have accelerated in recent decades, growing from 33 billion lost tons per year in the 1990s to a current average of 254 billion tons annually. — Brady Dennis, Washington Post, "Top scientists warn of an Amazon ‘tipping point”," 20 Dec. 2019 The ice sheet’s size rivals that of Alaska, and its center is well over a mile thick. — BostonGlobe.com, "The Greenland ice sheet’s losses have accelerated so fast since the 1990s it is now shedding more than seven times as much ice each year, according to 89 scientists who use satellites to study the area.," 11 Dec. 2019 What effects the meltwater has on the ice sheet’s movements is still somewhat unclear. — Robin George Andrews, National Geographic, "Newly spotted lakes on Greenland ice sheet are speeding up its demise," 11 Dec. 2019 The speed of the ice sheet movement depends on the slope underneath, for one. — Eric Niiler, WIRED, "Icy Waterfalls Are Roaring as a Heat Wave Sizzles Greenland," 1 Aug. 2019 In 2012, about 97 percent of the ice sheet’s surface underwent some level of melting. — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian, "Greenland Lost 12.5 Billion Tons of Ice in a Single Day," 1 Aug. 2019

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

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First Known Use of ice sheet

1831, in the meaning defined above

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Time Traveler for ice sheet

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The first known use of ice sheet was in 1831

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Statistics for ice sheet

Last Updated

27 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Ice sheet.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ice%20sheet. Accessed 27 January 2020.

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More Definitions for ice sheet

ice sheet

noun

English Language Learners Definition of ice sheet

: a very large and thick area of ice that covers a region

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

More from Merriam-Webster on ice sheet

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with ice sheet

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ice sheet

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