ice shelf

American  

noun

1. an ice sheet projecting into coastal waters so that the end floats.

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ice shelf British  

noun

1. a thick mass of ice that is permanently attached to the land but projects into and floats on the sea

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Etymology

Origin of ice shelf

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

This four-stage pattern of structural decline may be a signal for other Antarctic ice shelves that appear to be entering similar phases of weakness.

From Science Daily

The study also highlighted how warming oceans could trigger greater melting of the western Antarctica ice shelf, but it did not examine how this could create a feedback effect, and even more melting.

From BBC

The study showed that warm water intrusions in the western Antarctican ice shelf would increase, but it did not look at how this might create a feedback effect and generate even more melting.

From Reuters

The pieces most likely broke off from an ice shelf in 2000.

From New York Times

The penguins breed on stable sea ice locked to the coast, on ice shelves or on islands around the Antarctic during the winter.

From Washington Post