ice shelf

noun

: shelf ice
In 2002, a Rhode Island-size section of an ice shelf crumbled into the sea.Joe McGowan

Examples of ice shelf 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.
According to a release, Ottawa Fire Services received a 911 call at approximately 2:55 p.m. local time from the owners, who reported that their dog was at the end of an ice shelf near a boat launch in the river. Tabitha Parent, People.com, 1 Jan. 2025 Study misrepresented online | Fact check Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition, accessed Dec. 23, What is an ice shelf? Kate S. Petersen, USA TODAY, 27 Dec. 2024 Large icebergs periodically break away from Antarctica as part of the natural growth cycle of ice shelves. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Dec. 2024 Even if the glacier's entire ice shelf were to collapse today, the resulting ice cliffs would likely not be tall enough to crumble and trigger the catastrophic chain reaction previously feared. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ice shelf 

Word History

First Known Use

1869, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ice shelf was in 1869

Dictionary Entries Near ice shelf

Cite this Entry

“Ice shelf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ice%20shelf. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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