Ice

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Ice

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

noun, verb, and adjective

Pronunciation

ice (rhymes with mice, twice)  /aɪs/

Definition

As a noun: water frozen into a solid state; a sheet or expanse of frozen water; a frozen dessert (especially American English). As a verb: to cover with ice or frost; to refrigerate; to apply ice to an injury; to ice someone (kill, in criminal slang); in hockey, to ice the puck. As an adjective: made of or relating to ice.

Plain meaning

Ice is frozen water. An ice rink. Ice in a drink. Put ice on a sprained ankle. To ice a cake means to cover it with icing. In ice hockey, to ice the puck means to shoot it the length of the rink. Break the ice means to make a first social contact less awkward. On ice means kept in reserve or under consideration.

Register

Neutral across all senses. Ice is one of the most versatile words in English — it appears in hundreds of compounds and idioms. Phrases: break the ice, thin ice, ice over, on ice, put on ice, cold as ice, ice someone out.