ice age

noun

1
: a time of widespread glaciation
2
Ice Age : the Pleistocene glacial epoch

Examples of ice age in a Sentence

changes that occurred during the last ice age
Recent Examples on the Web
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Evidence collected by paleontologists and archaeologists note that the Sahara’s green period (officially called the African Humid Period) began shortly after the end of the last ice age, about 11,700 years ago, and lasted until about 5,000 years ago. Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 June 2026 Dagomar Degroot, an environmental historian, focuses on how civilizations have adapted to past ice ages. ABC News, 16 June 2026 During the transition from the Pliocene to the Pleistocene, the North Sea experienced significant climatic shifts tied to the onset of ice ages. Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026 The lake was formed by glaciers during the last ice age more than 10,000 years ago. Taryn White, Travel + Leisure, 21 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for ice age

Word History

First Known Use

1855, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ice age was in 1855

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Cite this Entry

“Ice age.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ice%20age. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

ice age

noun
1
: a time of widespread glaciation
2
capitalized I&A : the most recent such period in the earth's past

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