ice

[ ahys ]

/ aɪs /

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See synonyms for ice on Thesaurus.com

noun

the solid form of water, produced by freezing; frozen water.

the frozen surface of a body of water.

any substance resembling frozen water: camphor ice.

a frozen dessert made of sweetened water and fruit juice.

British. ice cream.

icing, as on a cake.

reserve; formality: The ice of his manner betrayed his dislike of the new ambassador.

Slang.

a diamond or diamonds.
protection money paid to the police by the operator of an illicit business.
a fee that a ticket broker pays to a theater manager in order to receive a favorable allotment of tickets.

verb (used with object), iced, ic·ing.

to cover with ice.

to change into ice; freeze.

to cool with ice, as a drink.

to cover (cake, sweet rolls, etc.) with icing; frost.

to refrigerate with ice, as air.

to make cold, as if with ice.

to preserve by placing on ice.

Ice Hockey. (especially in Canada) to put (a team) into formal play.

Slang.

to settle or seal; make sure of, as by signing a contract: We'll ice the deal tomorrow.
to make (a business arrangement) more attractive by adding features or benefits: The star pitcher wouldn't sign his new contract until the team iced it with a big bonus.
to kill, especially to murder: The mobsters threatened to ice him if he went to the police.

Sports Slang. to establish a winning score or insurmountable lead in or otherwise assure victory in (a game or contest): Her second goal iced the game.

verb (used without object), iced, ic·ing.

to change to ice; freeze: The sherbet is icing in the refrigerator.

to be coated with ice (often followed by up): The windshield has iced up.

adjective

of or made of ice: ice shavings; an ice sculpture.

for holding ice and food or drink to be chilled: an ice bucket; an ice chest.

on or done on the ice: ice yachting.

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Idioms about ice

break the ice,

to succeed initially; make a beginning.
to overcome reserve, awkwardness, or formality within a group, as in introducing persons: The chairman broke the ice with his warm and very amusing remarks.

cut no ice, Informal. to have no influence or importance; fail to impress: Her father's position cuts no ice with me.

ice it, Slang. stop it; that's enough: You've been complaining all day, so ice it.

ice the puck, Ice Hockey. to hit the puck to the far end of the rink, especially from the defensive area across the offensive area.

on ice, Informal.

with a good chance of success or realization: Now that the contract is on ice we can begin operating again.
out of activity, as in confinement or imprisonment.
in a state of abeyance or readiness: Let's put that topic on ice for the moment.

on thin ice, in a precarious or delicate situation: You may pass the course, but you're on thin ice right now.Also skating on thin ice.

Origin of ice

before 900; 1905–10 for def. 8a; Middle English, Old English īs; cognate with German Eis,Old Norse īss

OTHER WORDS FROM ice

iceless, adjectiveicelike, adjectivere·ice, verb, re·iced, re·ic·ing.un·ice, verb (used with object), un·iced, un·ic·ing.

Words nearby ice

Icarian, Icarian Sea, Icarus, ICBM, ICC, ice, ice age, ice ages, ice anchor, ice apron, ice ax

Other definitions for ice (2 of 4)

ICE

[ ahys ]

/ aɪs /

noun

Immigration and Customs Enforcement: a federal agency tasked with interior enforcement of U.S. customs and immigration laws, including cross-border investigations of criminal activity, and the arrest, detention, and removal of undocumented aliens.

in case of emergency: (usually designating an emergency-contact phone number in one's cell phone contact list): The paramedic found my mom's ICE number immediately.

Other definitions for ice (3 of 4)

-ice

a suffix of nouns, indicating state or quality, appearing in loanwords from French: notice.

Origin of -ice

Middle English -ice, -ise<Old French <Latin -itius, -itia, -itium abstract noun suffix

Other definitions for ice (4 of 4)

Ice.

abbreviation

Iceland.

Icelandic.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

ABOUT THIS WORD

What else does ICE mean?

ICE stands for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a federal agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Where does ICE come from?

ICE was created after the passage of the United States Homeland Security Act. The act, a congressional move made in response to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, spelled out the creation of a new federal agency, the Department of Homeland Security. Underneath the Homeland Security umbrella were a number of new agencies, including US Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE, which was formed in March 2003.

ICE agents are officially charged with immigration enforcement, investigating illegal movement of people and goods, and preventing terrorism. As part of that mission, ICE performs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), the term the agency uses to describe its removal of individuals from the United States who have been ordered to be deported.

ICE is not the same as the United States Border Patrol (USBP), but the two agencies do work together.

How is ICE used in real life?

Like many federal agencies (cf. NASA, FDA, CDC), the Immigration and Customs Enforcement is commonly referred to in its acronym form, ICE.

During #PoliceWeek, ICE joins our law enforcement partners throughout the country to honor and pay tribute to our officers and agents who have made the ultimate sacrifice to make our nation and all her citizens safer and more secure. #PoliceWeek2020 pic.twitter.com/7zRDLB8lwq

— ICE (@ICEgov) May 16, 2020

In the 2010–20s, the role of ICE in enforcing U.S. immigration policy has often been a source of dispute. For example, there have been calls to abolish ICE after the Trump administration was seen to deploy the agency aggressively to detain or deport migrants.

This is unimaginably cruel. And yet a person in @DHSgov thought this up, and multiple people approved it and now it’s being implemented by hundreds of other people, many of whom probably tell themselves they’re “just following orders.”#NeverAgainIsNow #AbolishICE https://t.co/eHNHaaFj5b

— Sophie Ellman-Golan (@EgSophie) May 15, 2020

More examples of ICE:

“Two sisters from El Salvador, ages 8 and 11, in U.S. government custody had just been approved for reunification with their Houston-based mom, when ICE stepped in and moved to deport them … ICE said its agents would only focus on detaining ‘public safety risks,’ as well as immigrants whose criminal records require the agency to apprehend them.”
—Graham Kates & Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, May 2020

Note

This content is not meant to be a formal definition of this term. Rather, it is an informal summary that seeks to provide supplemental information and context important to know or keep in mind about the term’s history, meaning, and usage.

How to use ice in a sentence

Lalo said he reported the kidnapping to his ICE handlers, which was confirmed by a former federal agent familiar with the case.
An Informant, a Missing American, and Juarez’s House of Death: Inside the 12-Year Cold Case of David Castro|Bill Conroy|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But Huckabee (akin to Elizabeth Warren on the left) is like an ice cream sundae.
The Devil in Mike Huckabee|Dean Obeidallah|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Just who is crazy enough to go swimming when the pond across the street has a layer of ice across the top?
Diving Into 2015 With Polar Bear Plunge Extremists|James Joiner|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Crew members had to cut through the ice on the streets to get shots.
Speed Read: The Juiciest Bits From the History of ‘Purple Rain’|Jennie Yabroff|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Serve with the warm sauce and your choice of ice cream, whipped cream, or yogurt.
Make ‘The Chew’s’ Carla Hall’s Sticky Toffee Pudding|Carla Hall|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He leant against the wall of his refuge, notwithstanding this boast, and licked the ice to moisten his parched lips.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
The left heel followed like lightning, and the right paw also slipped, letting the bear again fall heavily on the ice below.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
A long stretch of smooth ice followed, over which he glided with ever-increasing speed.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
Profiting by this, Benjy quietly moved away round a colossal buttress of the berg, and took refuge in an ice-cave.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
The smile was still on his lips when his head drooped on a piece of ice, and he sank into a deep slumber.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne

British Dictionary definitions for ice (1 of 3)

ice

/ (aɪs) /

noun

water in the solid state, formed by freezing liquid waterRelated adjective: glacial

a portion of ice cream

slang a diamond or diamonds

the field of play in ice hockey

slang a concentrated and highly potent form of methamphetamine with dangerous side effects

break the ice

to relieve shyness, etc, esp between strangers
to be the first of a group to do something

cut no ice informal to fail to make an impression

on ice in abeyance; pending

on thin ice unsafe or unsafely; vulnerable or vulnerably

the Ice NZ informal Antarctica

verb

(often foll by up, over, etc) to form or cause to form ice; freeze

(tr) to mix with ice or chill (a drink, etc)

(tr) to cover (a cake, etc) with icing

(tr) US slang to kill

mainly Canadian (in ice hockey)

to shoot the puck from one end of the rink to the other
to select which players will play in a game

Derived forms of ice

iceless, adjectiveicelike, adjective

Word Origin for ice

Old English īs; compare Old High German īs, Old Norse īss

British Dictionary definitions for ice (2 of 3)

ICE

abbreviation for (in Britain)

Institution of Civil Engineers

British Dictionary definitions for ice (3 of 3)

Ice.

abbreviation for

Iceland(ic)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for ice

ice

[ īs ]

A solid consisting of frozen water. Ice forms at or below a temperature of 0°C (32°F). Ice expands during the process of freezing, with the result that its density is lower than that of water.

A solid form of a substance, especially of a substance that is a liquid or a gas at room temperature at sea level on Earth. The nuclei of many comets contain methane ice.

Other Idioms and Phrases with ice

ice

see break the ice; cut no ice; on ice; on thin ice; put on ice; tip of the iceberg.

ice

Idioms about ice

Origin of ice

OTHER WORDS FROM ice

Words nearby ice

Other definitions for ice (2 of 4)

Other definitions for ice (3 of 4)

Origin of -ice

Other definitions for ice (4 of 4)

ABOUT THIS WORD

What else does ICE mean?

Where does ICE come from?

How is ICE used in real life?

Note

Words related to ice

How to use ice in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ice (1 of 3)

Derived forms of ice

Word Origin for ice

British Dictionary definitions for ice (2 of 3)

British Dictionary definitions for ice (3 of 3)

Scientific definitions for ice

Other Idioms and Phrases with ice