ice shelf

noun

: shelf ice
In 2002, a Rhode Island-size section of an ice shelf crumbled into the sea.Joe McGowan

Examples of ice shelf in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
So sea ice supports the ice shelves, which support the ice sheets on land. Matt Simon, Wired News, 30 Aug. 2025 Scientists warned this risky behavior might become more common as climate change forces penguins to breed on higher ice shelves. Doc Louallen, ABC News, 27 Aug. 2025 Bertie Gregory freeze-framed the moment fledgling emperor penguin chicks walk along the edge of an ice shelf. Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025 Bertie Gregory spent two months with an emperor penguin colony on an ice shelf in Antarctica, watching most of the chicks descend to sea level for food using ice ramps. Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ice shelf

Word History

First Known Use

1869, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ice shelf was in 1869

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ice shelf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ice%20shelf. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!