ice floe

noun

1. a large flat mass of floating ice.
2. floe ( def 1 ).

ice floe

noun

1. a sheet of ice, of variable size, floating in the sea See also ice field

ice floe

1. A large, flat expanse of floating ice smaller than a marine ice field.

Word History and Origins

Origin of ice floe¹

First recorded in 1810–20

Example Sentences

They have gone out on an ice floe with no obvious way back to shore.

From The Daily Beast

Not that Western civilization has never embraced the mythical Inuit practice of leaving the old out on an ice floe.

From The Daily Beast

The ice-floe was so deep down in the water that the current that ran underneath drew it along.

From Project Gutenberg

So both children turned their effort to shoving off the ice-floe and soon succeeded in moving it beyond the reach of the poles.

From Project Gutenberg

That was entirely out of his plans, so he used his pole to push himself over as near to the large ice-floe as possible.

From Project Gutenberg

In the morning, the ice-floe burst across immediately beneath the ship.

From Project Gutenberg

We ran into an ice floe last night and the Ark slipped upon the ledge of the iceberg and grounded.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• iceberg