ice

noun · verb · ICE proper noun

YS/aɪs/

Pluralices (some meanings), ICEs (some meanings)

Verbices, icing, iced

31 meanings of ice

Practice

1
frozen waternoununcountable
Water that has become hard and solid because it is very cold.
Put some ice in my glass, please.
The lake was covered with ice all winter.
UsageSay some ice or a piece of ice.
Note
2
rinknoununcountable
The area where a hockey game is played and the players skate.
The players skated onto the ice to loud cheers.
He spent ten minutes on the ice in the first period.
UsageSay players are on the ice.
Note
3
coolverbtransitive
To put ice on or in something to make it cold, like a hurt knee or a drink.
Ice your ankle for twenty minutes after the game.
She iced the lemonade before the guests arrived.
UsageThe hurt part comes right after ice: ice your knee.
Similarchill, cool
Oppositeheat
4
fruit dessertnouncountable or uncountable
A cold sweet treat made by freezing fruit juice, water, and sugar.
We bought two cherry ices from the stand by the beach.
On hot days, a lemon ice is the best treat.
Similarsorbet, sherbet
5
immigration agencyproper noun · ICEUSacronym
Short for Immigration and Customs Enforcement: the US government agency that enforces immigration and customs laws.
ICE agents checked the papers of workers at the factory.
Her lawyer called ICE to ask about her case.
UsageSay it like the word ice: ICE agents.
6
noundialectaluncountable
Icing, the sweet sugar coating on top of a cake.
Gran spread white ice on the Christmas cake.
The birthday cake had pink ice and candles on top.
Similarfrosting
Note

Less common meanings

7
coat a cakeverbtransitive
To cover a cake or other sweet baked food with a sweet sugar coating.
We iced the birthday cake with pink frosting.
Let the cookies cool before you ice them.
UsageTo ice a cake is to put icing on it.
Similarfrost, glaze
8
social barriernounfigurativelyuncountable
Something, like awkwardness, that stops people from talking freely together.
A funny story helped break the ice at the meeting.
A funny story about my dog helped break the ice at the party.
UsageSay break the ice when you end an awkward silence.
9
freezeverbintransitive
To turn to ice or get covered in ice, or to make something do that.
The puddles iced over during the night.
Water in the dog's bowl can ice over if you leave it outside.
UsageSay a pond ices over when ice covers it.
Similarfreeze
Oppositethaw, melt
10
cream dessertnoundatedUKcountable or uncountable
Some ice cream for one person.
The children each had an ice on the pier.
Two chocolate ices, please.
UsageToday people say ice cream.
Note
11
cold mannernounfigurativelyuncountable
A very cold, unfriendly way of acting or speaking.
When I said sorry, her voice was pure ice.
He has a heart of ice and never says thank you.
UsageSay a heart of ice for a very cold, unkind person.
Similarfrost, coldness, chill, frostiness
Oppositewarmth
Note
12
verbcolloquialtransitive
In sports, to make sure of a win, usually by scoring near the end so the other team cannot catch up.
Two free throws in the last ten seconds would ice the game for us.
Her goal in the final minute iced the victory.
UsageSay a late score iced the game: it made the win sure.
Similarclinch, seal, secure
Note
13
diamondsnounslanguncountable
Diamonds, or a diamond, especially in jewelry.
Look at the ice on her ring!
The rapper showed up with ice on both wrists.
UsageSay a lot of ice for many diamonds.
Similarrocks, bling, diamonds
Note
14
crystal drugnounslanguncountable
An illegal drug, methamphetamine in the form of clear crystals.
He got hooked on ice and lost his job.
His family helped him stop using ice.
UsageAlso called crystal meth.
Similarmeth, crystal
Note
15
murderverbslangtransitive
To kill a person on purpose.
In the movie, the gang boss wants to ice the witness.
He wanted revenge on the men who iced his brother.
UsageCrime talk for kill: they iced him.
Similarkill, murder, whack, waste
Note
16
beat easilyverbslangtransitive
To beat someone easily and completely.
We're going to ice those guys in Saturday's final.
Our team iced them eight to one.
Similarcrush, trounce, rout, thrash
Note
17
puck clearanceverbtransitive
In hockey, to send the puck from your half all the way past the other team's goal line, which usually stops play.
If you ice the puck, the referee stops the game.
The tired defenders iced the puck to stop the other team's attack.
UsageSay a player ices the puck.
Note
18
field a teamverbtransitive
To put a team together and send it out to play.
The small town could barely ice a team this winter.
The college iced its first women's team last year.
UsageSay a club ices a team when it puts one on the ice.
Similarfield
Note
19
noun
In science, frozen gases or liquids like water, ammonia, or carbon dioxide, especially as part of planets or moons.
20
proper nounUS
A name for Antarctica, used by Americans who work there.
21
verbslangUS
To arrest someone or send them out of the country through ICE, the US immigration agency.
22
nounslang
Secret money paid to someone to get them to break the rules for you.
23
verbslang
To park a gas car in a space kept for electric cars, especially one with a charger.
24
nounobsolete
One cube or chunk of frozen water.
25
nounslang
Elephant tusks or rhino horns taken by illegal hunting and sold in secret.
26
nounslang
Something sneaked across a border, especially something shiny.
27
noun
Short for internal compiler error, when a program that builds software fails because of its own fault.
28
noun
Short for in-circuit emulator or emulation, a device or method for finding faults in a chip's programs.
29
noun
Short for in-car entertainment, the equipment in a car that plays sound or video.
30
noun
Short for Intercontinental Exchange, a large company that runs stock and trading markets.
31
adjective
Short for isolated, confined and extreme, describing cut-off, cramped, harsh places like polar bases.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of ice apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

From Old English īs. German Eis and Dutch ijs come from the same old root.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

English ice derives from Old English īs. en.wiktionary.org
German Eis and Dutch ijs share a common root with English ice. en.wikisource.org