ice

Less common meanings

7. 7
   coat a cakeverbtransitive

   To cover a cake, tart, or similar baked item with icing, a sweet coating made of sugar mixed with milk or egg white.

   She iced the cinnamon rolls while they were still warm.

   Bakers often ice a layer cake in two coats, a thin one first to trap the crumbs.

   UsageThe object is the cake or bun (ice a cake, iced buns); the coating itself is icing.

   Similarfrost, glaze

8. 8
   social barriernounfigurativelyuncountable

   Something, such as awkwardness, that keeps people from interacting openly with each other.

   The host's silly name-tag game finally broke the ice.

   Months of shared lunches slowly melted the ice between the two departments.

   UsageMostly in break the ice; the ice between people can also melt slowly.

9. 9
   freezeverbintransitive

   To freeze or become covered with ice, or to make something do so.

   By morning the water in the horse trough had iced over completely.

   Shallow ponds ice over long before the deep lake does.

   UsageMostly ice over or ice up: the pond iced over.

   Similarfreeze

   Oppositethaw, melt

10. 10
    cream dessertnoundatedUKcountable or uncountable

    A serving of ice cream.

    We sat on the promenade with our ices, watching the boats come in.

    Granny bought us each a vanilla ice from the van by the park gates.

    UsageCounted like a snack (an ice, two ices); today ice cream is the ordinary word.

    Note

    Older British English used plain ice for ice cream, so a treat from the van by the park was simply an ice. Source

    Checked 3 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

    • In older British English, ice could mean ice cream or a serving of it. en.wiktionary.org
11. 11
    cold mannernounfigurativelyuncountable

    Something marked by an extremely cold, unfriendly manner, such as a voice or a heart.

    The manager's reply was ice: a single line saying the matter was closed.

    Behind the polite smile, there was ice in his eyes whenever his brother walked in.

    UsageIn fixed shapes: a heart of ice, ice in his eyes, a voice that is simply ice.

    Similarfrost, coldness, chill, frostiness

    Oppositewarmth

    Note

    The coldness belongs to one person's manner, which sets it apart from the ice of social awkwardness, the stiffness that sits between people who have not yet warmed to each other.

12. 12
    verbcolloquialtransitive

    In sports, to put a victory out of the other side's reach, especially by scoring late so that the outcome is no longer in doubt.

    The Jets needed one more first down to ice the win, and their running back delivered it.

    A two-run homer in the eighth inning iced the series for the visitors.

    UsageCommon objects: ice the game, the win, the series. A game is on ice when the win is certain.

    Similarclinch, seal, secure

    Note

    Sportswriters' shorthand: the object is the game, the win or the victory, and the play that iced it is the late score that ended all doubt.

13. 13
    diamondsnounslanguncountable

    One or more diamonds, especially when worn as jewelry.

    He spent his first big paycheck on enough ice to light up a room.

    He walked into the awards dinner wearing ice on both wrists and a heavy gold chain.

    UsageCommon phrases: a lot of ice, ice on her finger.

    Similarrocks, bling, diamonds

    Note

    Hip-hop helped make this slang familiar, with Jay-Z using it in 2002, and romance and urban fiction have since taken it up for engagement rings. Source

    Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

    • Jay-Z used ice to mean diamonds in 2002. en.wiktionary.org
    • Subsequent romance and urban fiction use ice for diamonds on a ring finger, including engagement rings. en.wiktionary.org
14. 14
    crystal drugnounslanguncountable

    Methamphetamine in its crystalline form, used as an illegal stimulant drug.

    Treatment centers in the region report a rise in patients addicted to ice.

    The jury heard that the gang had been selling ice out of a rented garage.

    UsageAlso called crystal meth.

    Similarmeth, crystal

    Note

    The street name describes the drug's look, clear crystals like chips of ice. It is often smoked and mentioned in the same breath as crack, and police and doctors also know it as crystal meth, so reports may use either name for the same substance. Source

    Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

    • The street name ice refers to the drug's clear, chunky crystalline appearance. oregon.gov
    • Ice is often smoked. health.nsw.gov.au
    • Ice and crystal meth are names for the same crystalline form of methamphetamine. euda.europa.eu
15. 15
    murderverbslangtransitive

    To murder someone.

    If he goes to the cops, they'll ice him, and he knows it.

    The hit man had iced three people before anyone learned his name.

    UsageCrime talk, with a person as object: ice someone.

    Similarkill, murder, whack, waste

    Note

    The slang belongs to crime talk and crime writing, where a killing is a job: Gavin Knight's Hood Rat has a man asked to ice someone for £15,000. Source

    Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

    • Gavin Knight wrote Hood Rat. panmacmillan.com
    • Hood Rat includes a man being asked to ice someone for £15,000. en.wiktionary.org
16. 16
    beat easilyverbslangtransitive

    To defeat an opponent decisively.

    My little sister completely iced me at chess last night, winning in under ten moves.

    Nobody gave the underdogs a chance, yet they went on to ice the league leaders by thirty points.

    Similarcrush, trounce, rout, thrash

    Note

    Sports pages and political writing use it for a win that is never in doubt: Clinton iced Dole in his 1996 reelection campaign. Source

    Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

    • Clinton decisively defeated Dole when winning reelection in 1996. en.wikipedia.org
17. 17
    puck clearanceverbtransitive

    In ice hockey, to send the puck from your own half of the rink across the other team's goal line, which usually stops play for the infraction called icing.

    Under heavy pressure in their own zone, the defenders iced the puck rather than risk a turnover.

    Coaches hate to see their players ice the puck late in a close game.

    UsageAlmost always used with the puck as its object: ice the puck.

    Note

    The object is always the puck, and the cost is built into the rule: when a team ices it, play usually stops and the faceoff comes back to that team's own zone. In most leagues a short-handed team is allowed to do it freely. The infraction is called icing, a different icing from the baker's. Source

    Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

    • Icing usually stops play, with a faceoff in the offending team's defensive zone. iihf.com
    • Most leagues exempt teams that are short-handed because of a penalty from icing stoppages. en.wikipedia.org
    • The infraction is called icing, a distinct sense from the baking term. en.wiktionary.org
18. 18
    field a teamverbtransitive

    To field a team for a game or a season.

    Injuries left the club struggling to ice a full lineup for Saturday's game.

    The expansion franchise iced a roster made up mostly of rookies.

    UsageThe object is a team, lineup or roster: ice a full lineup.

    Similarfield

    Note

    The verb comes from the rink itself: to ice a team is to get one onto the surface, for a single game or a whole season. Source

    Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

    • The hockey verb refers to putting a team onto the ice. en.wiktionary.org
19. 19
    noun

    In science, any frozen volatile substance such as water, ammonia, methane, or carbon dioxide, or such substances as a component of a planet or moon.
20. 20
    proper nounUS

    Antarctica, as Americans working at its research stations often call it.
21. 21
    verbslangUS

    To arrest or deport someone through Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
22. 22
    nounslang

    Money paid to someone as a bribe.
23. 23
    verbslang

    To park a car with an internal combustion engine in a space reserved for electric cars, especially one with a charger.
24. 24
    nounobsolete

    A single lump or cube of frozen water.
25. 25
    nounslang

    Elephant tusks or rhino horns taken by poachers and traded illegally.
26. 26
    nounslang

    A smuggled object, especially a clear or glittering one such as a gem.
27. 27
    noun

    Short for internal compiler error, a crash caused by a bug inside the compiler rather than in the code it is given.
28. 28
    noun

    Short for in-circuit emulator or in-circuit emulation, a hardware tool for debugging software on an embedded system, or the use of such a tool.
29. 29
    noun

    Short for in-car entertainment, the audio, video and other media systems used in a vehicle.
30. 30
    noun

    Short for Intercontinental Exchange, the company that runs futures and stock exchanges, including the New York Stock Exchange.
31. 31
    adjective

    Short for isolated, confined, and extreme, describing settings such as polar bases or spacecraft studied for their effects on people.