I. ˈīs noun
( -s )
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English is, from Old English īs; akin to Old Frisian, Old Saxon, & Old High German īs ice, Old Norse īss, Avestan isu- icy, aēxa- cold, and perhaps to Russian ineĭ frost, Lithuanian ynis
1.
a. : water reduced to the solid state by cooling and when pure constituting a nearly colorless brittle substance that in freezing expands about one eleventh in volume, that has a specific gravity of 0.9166 as compared with 1.0 for water at 4° C, that under normal atmospheric pressure is formed at and has a melting point of 0° C or 32° F, that occurs in the common form as hexagonal crystals, and that in large masses is classed as a rock — compare blue ice , frost , snow ; heat of fusion
b. : the layer of frozen water covering a surface (as of a road, rink, or body of water)
broke through the ice
: the surface of a sheet of ice
slipped on the ice
skated down the ice
an ice carnival
2. : the quality or state of being emotionally cold (as from formality, reserve, embarrassment, or hostility)
perceptibly chilled by the ice in his voice
thawed a little of the ice that held his lady's heart — Robert Murphy
— compare break the ice
3. : a substance resembling ice in appearance or solid form
these hydrogen ices might well be retained in meteoritic particles — P.M.Millman
specifically : icing
4.
a. : a sweet frozen food containing a fruit juice or other flavoring and usually served as a dessert or refreshment ; specifically : one containing no milk or cream (as a fruit ice or water ice)
b. Britain : a serving of ice cream ; specifically : ice-cream cone
5. slang : diamonds
fenced the ice for the gang
broadly : jewelry
6. slang : protection money paid by an operator of illicit business
a $20,000,000-a-year bookmaking syndicate that paid out $1,000,000 in ice to the police — New York Times
7. : allowance made in directing a curling stone for its deviation from a straight course
make the shot … by using the ice and weight suggested by his skip — Ken Watson
•
- on ice
- on thin ice
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English isen, from is, n.
transitive verb
1.
a. : to coat with or convert into ice
sleet iced the turnpike
weather that iced his breath
b. : to chill especially by surface contact with ice
ice the champagne before serving
an iced melon
a frown that iced his enthusiasm
c. : to load or supply with ice
a portable cooler iced with cubes from the refrigerator
stations for icing refrigerator cars containing perishables
2. : to cover with or as if with icing
ice a cake
houses iced over with multicolored stuccoes — Norman Lewis
3. : to put in a secure place or state or in reserve : put on ice
sank a free throw … to ice the victory — Spokane Spokesman-Review
has frozen all major route applications … would probably ice a merger too — Time
intransitive verb
1. : to become ice cold : freeze
the two bottles were icing in a bucket — Lionel Trilling
2.
a. : to become covered with ice
at the first sign of snow or icing, equipment is deployed along the turnpike — Roads & Streets
— often used with up
the airplane propeller and wings may ice up
b. : to have ice form inside — usually used with up
the airplane carburetor iced up
III. noun
1. : an undercover premium paid to a theater employee for choice theater tickets
2. : methamphetamine in the form of crystals of its hydrochloride salt C 10 H 15 N·HCl when used illicitly for smoking — called also crystal meth
IV. transitive verb
1. : to shoot (an ice hockey puck) the length of the rink and beyond the opponents' goal line
2. slang : kill