aɪs n. & v. --n. 1 a
frozen water, a
brittle transparent crystalline solid. b a sheet of
this on
the surface of water (fell
through the ice). 2
Brit. a
portion of ice-cream or water-ice (would
you like an ice?). 3 sl. diamonds. --v. 1 tr.
mix with or
cool in ice (iced drinks). 2 tr. & intr. (often foll. by
over, up) a
cover or
become covered with ice. b
freeze. 3 tr. cover (a
cake etc.) with
icing. øice
age a
glacial period,
esp. in the
Pleistocene epoch. ice-axe a
tool used by mountain-climbers
for cutting footholds. ice-bag an ice-filled rubber
bag for
medical use. ice-blue a
very pale blue. ice-boat 1 a
boat mounted on runners for travelling on ice. 2 a boat used for breaking ice on a
river etc. ice-bound confined by ice. ice-breaker 1 = ice-boat 2. 2
something that serves to
relieve inhibitions,
start a
conversation, etc. ice
bucket a bucket-like
container with chunks of ice, used to
keep a
bottle of
wine chilled. ice-cap a
permanent covering of ice e.g. in
polar regions. ice-cold as
cold as ice. ice-cream a
sweet creamy frozen
food, usu. flavoured. ice-cube a
small block of ice
made in a
refrigerator. ice-fall a steep
part of a
glacier like a frozen
waterfall. ice-field an
expanse of ice, esp. in polar regions. ice-fish a
capelin. ice
floe = FLOE. ice hockey a
form of hockey played on ice with a puck. ice
house a
building often partly or
wholly underground for storing ice. ice (or iced)
lolly Brit. a
piece of flavoured ice, often with
chocolate or ice-cream, on a stick. ice-pack 1 = pack ice. 2 a
quantity of ice
applied to the
body for medical etc. purposes. ice-pick a needle-like
implement with a
handle for splitting up small pieces of ice. ice-plant a
plant,
Mesembryanthemum crystallinum, with
leaves covered with crystals or vesicles looking like ice specks. ice-rink =
RINK n. 1. ice-skate n. a skate consisting of a
boot with a
blade beneath, for skating on ice. --v.intr. skate on ice. ice-skater a
person who skates on ice. ice
station a meteorological
research centre in polar regions. on ice 1 (of an
entertainment,
sport, etc.) performed by skaters. 2 colloq.
held in
reserve; awaiting
further attention. on
thin ice in a
risky situation. [OE is f. Gmc]
