moulin

American  

[moo-lan] / muˈlɛ̃ /

noun

1. a nearly vertical shaft or cavity worn in a glacier by surface water falling through a crack in the ice.

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Moulin ¹ British  

/ mulɛ̃ /

noun

1. Jean (ʒɑ̃). 1899–1943, French lawyer and Resistance hero; Chairman of the National Council of the Resistance (1943): tortured to death by the Nazis

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moulin ² British  

/ ˈmuːlɪn /

noun

1. a vertical shaft in a glacier, maintained by a constant descending stream of water and debris

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Etymology

Origin of moulin

1855–60; < French < Late Latin molīnum mill ¹

Example Sentences

"The size of the triangular moulin fractures on the surface remains unchanged for several years. Radar images show that although they change over time inside the glacier, they are still detectable years after their formation."

From Science Daily • Jan. 5, 2026

In particular, the Phobos moulin in western Greenland, which Gulley and Gadd explored in 2018, was not simply a narrow hole penetrating downward.

From Washington Post • Dec. 23, 2020

In Greenland, he once sent a flock of rubber ducks hurtling down a mile-long ice shaft known as a moulin.

From The New Yorker • Oct. 17, 2016

It is believed the boy fell into a glacial moulin, a circular shaft created by spring water flowing onto the glacial ice, Peters said.

From Reuters • Apr. 15, 2013

Or take red roses and moulin, of each a handful; cypress roots two drachms; make a bag, boil it in red wine and apply it to the belly.

From The Works of Aristotle the Famous Philosopher Containing his Complete Masterpiece and Family Physician; his Experienced Midwife, his Book of Problems and his Remarks on Physiognomy by Aristotle