icecap

[ ahys-kap ]

noun

1. a thick cover of ice over an area, sloping in all directions from the center.

icecap

/ ˈaɪsˌkæp /

noun

1. a thick mass of glacial ice and snow that permanently covers an area of land, such as either of the polar regions or the peak of a mountain

icecap

/ īs′kăp′ /

1. A dome-shaped body of ice and snow that covers a mountain peak or a large area and spreads out under its own weight. Ice caps have an area of less than 50,000 square km (19,500 square mi).
2. Compare ice sheet
3. A polar cap.

Word History and Origins

Origin of icecap¹

First recorded in 1850–55; ice + cap ¹

Example Sentences

A week ago, 12 international scientists released new data on 2023’s nightmare conditions, including record-breaking heat, droughts, extreme weather and melting icecaps.

From Seattle Times

We dug deep channels into the icecap and ran hundreds of meters worth of cable, we used chainsaws to cut blocks of ice that had encased the station's pillar supports.

From Salon

In contemplating biosignatures, astrobiologists gained new knowledge into how basic life on Earth can endure in extreme environments — under icecaps, for example, or near hydrothermal vents.

From New York Times

Earth was warmer at the time, lacking icecaps, and climate models suggest that latitude on Pangaea had a wet, temperate climate with hot summers and cool, rainy winters.

From Science Magazine

This mammoth icecap presses down so heavily that it actually distorts the shape of the earth.

From Literature

Related Words

• ice floe
• iceberg