ice shelf
noun
: shelf ice
In 2002, a Rhode Island-size section of an ice shelf crumbled into the sea.—
Joe McGowan
Joe McGowanExamples of ice shelf in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Anchored to the ocean floor, the curtain would act as a physical barrier, limiting the flow of warm seawater that melts the ice shelf from below.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 4 Feb. 2026
August 27, 2024 The Case for Visiting Alaska in Wintertime
After falling for Alaska in the summer, David Amsden returns to ski its soft-powder snow, explore melting ice shelves, and learn what the locals have always known—that the 49th state is truly amazing in winter.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Dec. 2025
When an iceberg the size of Chicago broke away from an Antarctic ice shelf on January 13, Schmidt Ocean Institute scientists raced over in their Falkor (too) research vessel to glimpse what life-forms had been dwelling below.
—Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 25 Dec. 2025
At the start of this series of NASA satellite images, pools of meltwater that contributed to the fracturing of the ice shelf are visible as parallel blue lines.
—Evan Howell, Wired News, 30 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ice shelf
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Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 4 Feb. 2026
August 27, 2024 The Case for Visiting Alaska in Wintertime
After falling for Alaska in the summer, David Amsden returns to ski its soft-powder snow, explore melting ice shelves, and learn what the locals have always known—that the 49th state is truly amazing in winter.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Dec. 2025
When an iceberg the size of Chicago broke away from an Antarctic ice shelf on January 13, Schmidt Ocean Institute scientists raced over in their Falkor (too) research vessel to glimpse what life-forms had been dwelling below.
—Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 25 Dec. 2025
At the start of this series of NASA satellite images, pools of meltwater that contributed to the fracturing of the ice shelf are visible as parallel blue lines.
—Evan Howell, Wired News, 30 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ice shelf
Cite this Entry
“Ice shelf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ice%20shelf. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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