ice cap

noun

1
: a cover of perennial ice and snow
specifically : a glacier forming on an extensive area of relatively level land and flowing outward from its center
2
: an ice bag shaped to the head

Examples of ice cap in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This process causes the white ice caps to grow and shrink in size depending on the Martian seasons. David Joffe, Space.com, 19 June 2025 The team tested two main ideas for how Mars' valleys might have formed through precipitation: one where the planet was warm and wet, and another where ice melted temporarily at the edge of a large ice cap — representing a cold, dry climate. Victoria Corless, Space.com, 24 Apr. 2025 Its purpose is to peel back the 6.5-million-cubic-mile (27-million-km³) ice cap to reveal the bedrock beneath. David Szondy, New Atlas, 13 Mar. 2025 Greenland is a large island with a small population Greenland is the world’s largest island, spanning more than 835,000 square miles, with around almost 80% of that land covered by ice caps and glaciers. Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ice cap

Word History

First Known Use

1816, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of ice cap was in 1816

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Cite this Entry

“Ice cap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ice%20cap. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

ice cap

noun
: a large glacier forming on level land and flowing outward from its center

More from Merriam-Webster on ice cap

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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