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View synonyms for glacial

glacial

[ gley-shuhl ]

adjective

  1. of or relating to glaciers or ice sheets.
  2. resulting from or associated with the action of ice or glaciers:

    glacial terrain.

  3. characterized by the presence of ice in extensive masses or glaciers.
  4. bitterly cold; icy:

    a glacial winter wind.

    Synonyms: wintry, frigid, freezing, chill

  5. happening or moving extremely slowly:

    The work proceeded at a glacial pace.

  6. icily unsympathetic or immovable:

    a glacial stare; glacial indifference.

    Synonyms: hostile, unfriendly, forbidding

  7. Chemistry. of, relating to, or tending to develop into icelike crystals:

    glacial phosphoric acid.



glacial

/ ˈɡleɪsɪəl; -ʃəl /

adjective

  1. characterized by the presence of masses of ice
  2. relating to, caused by, or deposited by a glacier
  3. extremely cold; icy
  4. cold or hostile in manner

    a glacial look

  5. (of a chemical compound) of or tending to form crystals that resemble ice

    glacial acetic acid

  6. very slow in progress

    a glacial pace

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


glacial

/ glāshəl /

  1. Relating to or derived from a glacier.
  2. Characterized or dominated by the existence of glaciers, as the Pleistocene Epoch.


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Derived Forms

  • ˈglacially, adverb
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Other Words From

  • glacial·ly adverb
  • non·glacial adjective
  • non·glacial·ly adverb
  • un·glacial adjective
  • un·glacial·ly adverb
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Word History and Origins

Origin of glacial1

1650–60; < Latin glaciālis icy, equivalent to glaci ( ēs ) ice + -ālis -al 1
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Example Sentences

As glacial ice melts, the downward pressure on Earth’s thin outer crust eases, causing the ground to rebound.

From Salon

Its glacial pace, often accompanied by a viscous sludge it leaves behind, make it a messy if inoffensive kind of pest.

The landslide - a mountainside of rock that collapsed and carried glacial ice with it - triggered a 200m wave.

From BBC

The glacial tongue is famed for its ice caves, with groups offering tours.

From BBC

Locals say much of the risk could be reduced if there were proper monitoring mechanisms for glacial lakes located upstream from human settlements.

From BBC

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Glace Bayglacial acetic acid