i ‧ ci ‧ cle /ˈaɪsɪk ə l/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Word Family: verb : ↑ ice , ↑ de-ice ; noun : ↑ ice , ↑ icicle ; adjective : ↑ icy , ↑ iced ; adverb : ↑ icily ]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Origin: ice + ickle 'icicle' (14-19 centuries) (from Old English gicel ) ]
a long thin pointed piece of ice hanging from a roof or other surface
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THESAURUS
▪ ice water that has frozen into a solid state:
ice cubes in her Coke
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the ice on the lake
▪ frost a thin coating of white powder-like ice that forms on the ground and plants, or the weather conditions in which this powder appears:
There was frost on the ground.
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Even in May we can sometimes get a late frost.
▪ black ice an area of ice that is very difficult to see on a road:
Driving conditions are dangerous, with black ice in many areas.
▪ icicle a long thin pointed piece of ice that hangs from a roof or other surface:
There were icicles hanging down from the side of the house.
▪ hailstones frozen balls of ice which fall like rain from the sky:
Hailstones as big as marbles flattened the crops.
▪ glacier a large mass of ice which moves slowly down a mountain valley:
The high mountain glaciers of South America and Asia are melting at an alarming rate.
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the Kangshung glacier
▪ iceberg a very large mass of ice floating in the sea, most of which is under the surface of the water:
The ship sank after hitting an iceberg in the North Atlantic.
▪ ice cap an area of thick ice that permanently covers the North and South Poles:
We all know that the polar ice caps are melting because of global warming.