What does "ice" mean?
Water in frozen (solid) form.
Ice
/[ʌɪs]/ adj, name, noun, phrase, verb, slang
adj, name, noun, phrase, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Water in frozen (solid) form.
- Grammar: ice is listed as adj, name, noun, phrase, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: air condition, air-condition, air-cool, alabaster.
- Useful contrasts: gaseous water, liquid waters, melted water.
- Usage evidence: You shouldn't have eaten so much ice cream.
How to use "ice"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "ice" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "ice" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "ice" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "ice" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "ice" is acting as adj, name, noun, phrase, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "air condition" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "ice", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Water in frozen (solid) form. uncountable, usually
"If thou doſt marry, Ile giue thee / This plague to thy dowry: / Be thou as chaſte as yce, as pure as ſnowe, / Thou ſhalt not ſcape calumny, to a Nunnery goe."
- 2 Acronym of internal combustion engine. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of
"“ICE-ing is EV owner-speak for when an internal combustion engine (ICE) car blocks or parks in a charging point space. On EV internet forums, stories of drivers being ICEd abound. But rather than scuffles breaking out, if stories are to be believed, British EV drivers resort to leaving notes and icy stares when the offending ICE driver returns."
- 3 a rink with a floor of ice for ice hockey or ice skating wordnet
- 4 Any frozen volatile chemical, such as ammonia or carbon dioxide. uncountable, usually
- 5 Initialism of internal compiler error. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
Show 25 more definitions
- 6 a heat engine in which combustion occurs inside the engine rather than in a separate furnace; heat expands a gas that either moves a piston or turns a gas turbine wordnet
- 7 Any volatile chemical, such as water, ammonia, or carbon dioxide, not necessarily in solid form, when discussing the composition of e.g. a planet as an ice giant vs a gas giant. uncountable, usually
"Above the core is the lower-density liquid mantle composed of ice materials under high pressure and temperature. This massive liquid layer would not be separated into layers of traditional ice compounds, but mixtures of radically different compounds originally consisting of water, carbon dioxide, methane, and ammonia […] Since the mass of the planet is dominated by the liquid mantle that itself consists of heated ices under pressure, both Uranus and Neptune are classified as giant ice planets."
- 8 Initialism of in-circuit emulator/emulation. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
- 9 an amphetamine derivative (trade name Methedrine) used in the form of a crystalline hydrochloride; used as a stimulant to the nervous system and as an appetite suppressant wordnet
- 10 Something having an extreme coldness of manner. figuratively, uncountable, usually
"a heart of ice"
- 11 Initialism of in-car entertainment. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
- 12 a frozen dessert with fruit flavoring (especially one containing no milk) wordnet
- 13 Something, such as awkwardness, that prevents open social interaction. figuratively, uncountable, usually
"The dialogues—or "raps"—usually take place on a monthly or bi-monthly basis and aim at fostering contacts hand at breaking through stereotypical notions held by both sides. "There's no question that there's ice to begin with," said Lance Bradley, who conducts the raps for Chelsea's Tenth Precinct."
- 14 Initialism of International Cultural Exchange. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
- 15 a flavored sugar topping used to coat and decorate cakes wordnet
- 16 The area where a game of ice hockey is played. uncountable, usually
"2006, CBC, Finland, Sweden 'the dream final', February 26 2002, The neighbouring countries have enjoyed many great battles on the ice. They last met for gold at the 1998 world championship, won by Sweden. Three years earlier, Finland bested Sweden for the only world title in its history."
- 17 Initialism of ice, compress, elevation (first-aid). abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
- 18 the frozen part of a body of water wordnet
- 19 Icing; frosting ("a sweet, often creamy and thick glaze made primarily of sugar"). dialectal, uncountable, usually
"Well weddings, they were just the usual ... my big brother was married in the Masonic and the Co-operative done the party. Steak pie and tatties, and all that sort of stuff. The wee square Albert cake with ice on it, fruit cake. Then the wee dance after that. There was no drinking at oor wedding!"
- 20 Initialism of intercontinental exchange. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
"But ICE says futures trading in a variety of carbon-linked financial instruments -- where the bulk of trading activity occurs -- would continue apace. That includes trading in futures and options contracts for EUAs and the carbon offsets credits issued by U.N. organizations, the Certified Emission Reduction futures and options and Emission Reduction Unit futures."
- 21 diamonds wordnet
- 22 A frozen dessert made of fruit juice, water and sugar. countable, uncountable, usually
- 23 water frozen in the solid state wordnet
- 24 An ice cream. UK, countable, dated, uncountable, usually
- 25 An individual piece of ice. countable, obsolete, uncountable, usually
- 26 Elephant or rhinoceros ivory that has been poached and sold on the black market. slang, uncountable, usually
- 27 An artifact that has been smuggled, especially one that is either clear or shiny. slang, uncountable, usually
- 28 Money paid as a bribe. slang, uncountable, usually
"Theater operators, theater party agents, playwrights, and others who have ready access to tickets may get in on the “ice” and sometimes the producer is in on it too."
- 29 The crystal form of amphetamine-based drugs, including methamphetamine. slang, uncountable, usually
"Near-synonym: crystal meth"
- 30 One or more diamonds. slang, uncountable, usually
"But you can't give cred to anything dude says / Same dude to give you ice and you owe him some head"
Verb
- 1 To become ice; to freeze. intransitive
- 2 To occupy a reserved electric car parking space (especially one equipped with a charger) with a traditional car equipped with an internal combustion engine. slang
"“We do get charge rage if someone ICEs your bay. And people don’t like it if someone parks a Tesla to charge for two hours. When your car has finished charging, our message is: move it.” ICE-ing is EV owner-speak for when an internal combustion engine (ICE) car blocks or parks in a charging point space. On EV internet forums, stories of drivers being ICEd abound."
- 3 put ice on or put on ice wordnet
- 4 To cool with ice, as an injured body part or a beverage. transitive
"To treat runner's knee, you need to rest from running or any other high-impact activity, ice the knee, and strengthen the quadriceps through weight training."
- 5 To apprehend or deport by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. neologism, slang, transitive, uncommon
Show 9 more definitions
- 6 cause to become ice or icy wordnet
- 7 To make icy; to freeze. transitive
"The bridge ices before the road."
- 8 To kill (in reference to and often by Immigration and Customs Enforcement). neologism, slang, transitive, uncommon
- 9 decorate with frosting wordnet
- 10 To cover with icing (frosting made of sugar and milk or white of egg); to frost; as cakes, tarts, etc. transitive
- 11 To put out a team for a match. transitive
"Milton Keynes have yet to ice a team this season"
- 12 To shoot the puck the length of the playing surface, causing a stoppage in play called icing. transitive
"If the Bruins ice the puck, the faceoff will be in their own zone."
- 13 To murder. slang, transitive
"Not long afterwards Wolf rings him up. 'I want you to ice someone for £15,000, he says. "No one you know.""
- 14 To defeat decisively. slang, transitive
"Despite his vulnerabilities, Clinton managed to ice Dole in his 1996 reelection campaign for President."
Adjective
- 1 Initialism of isolated, confined, extreme. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
"Antarctica, like outer-space, is known as an ICE environment – isolated, confined and extreme – meaning unlike other isolated communities, the rate of change for its vocabulary can be slower."
Phrase
- 1 Initialism of in case of emergency, used in mobile phones followed by the number to call if the phone’s owner is injured. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
Proper Noun
- 1 Abbreviation of Iceland. abbreviation, alt-of
- 2 A surname. countable, uncountable
- 3 Initialism of Institution of Civil Engineers. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
- 4 Alternative letter-case form of ICE. alt-of, countable, uncountable
"David Huerta, president of SEIU California and SEIU-USWW, was serving as a community observer during an Ice raid in Los Angeles, and was arrested by federal agents over allegations of interfering."
- 5 Acronym of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“law-enforcement agency responsible for immigration and customs matters of the United States Federal government”). US, abbreviation, acronym, alt-of
"Mr. Schlossberg’s rant angered activists for immigrant rights, who said it reinforced stereotypes that Spanish speakers are not citizens. And they worried that it perpetuated fear within immigrant communities of ICE’s aggressive tactics to deport those who are undocumented."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 Antarctica. US, countable, often, uncountable, with-definite-article
"Over three weeks in 2019, Kaefer spent time at three English-speaking Antarctic stations observing and gathering data from workers based on what the US station refers to as “The Ice”, or the British call the “South”."
- 7 Initialism of Intercity-Express (“German high speed train”). abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
gaseous waterliquid watersmelted waterpure liquid water
Example
"You shouldn't have eaten so much ice cream."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "ice"?
Common synonyms include: air condition, air-condition, air-cool, alabaster, ammonia, berg.
How do you use "ice" in a sentence?
You shouldn't have eaten so much ice cream.
How do you pronounce "ice"?
Pronounced /[ʌɪs]/.
Etymology
From Middle English hyse, hyys, ice, ijs, is, yce, ys, yys, from Old English īs, from Proto-West Germanic *īs, from Proto-Germanic *īsą (“ice”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁eyH- (“ice, frost”). Cognates Cognate with North Frisian Iis, is (“ice”), Saterland Frisian Ies (“ice”), West Frisian iis (“ice”), Alemannic German Iis, isch, éisch (“ice”), Bavarian, Cimbrian, and Mòcheno ais (“ice”), Dutch ijs (“ice”), German Eis (“ice”), German Low German Ies (“ice”), Luxembourgish Äis (“ice”), Vilamovian ajs (“ice”), Yiddish אײַז (ayz, “ice”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish is (“ice”), Elfdalian ais (“ice”), Faroese ísur (“ice”), Icelandic ís (“ice”); also Cornish yey (“ice”), yeyn (“cold”), Irish oighear (“ice”), Scottish Gaelic deigh, eigh, eighre (“ice”), Welsh iâ (“ice”), Lithuanian ýnis (“hoar frost”), Bulgarian and Russian и́ней (ínej, “hoar frost”), Czech jíní (“frost”), Macedonian and Serbo-Croatian и́ње (“hoar frost”), Ukrainian і́ній (ínij, “hoar frost, rime”), Ossetian их (ix, “ice”), Armenian եղյամ (eġyam, “frost, hoar frost, rime”), Persian یخ (yax, “ice”), Hittite 𒂊𒃷 (“ice”). Superseded non-native Middle English glace (“ice”), borrowed from Old French glace (“ice”).