ice floe

noun

: a usually large flat free mass of floating sea ice

Examples of ice floe 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.
After an extensive search, the wreckage was found the following day on a drifting ice floe. CBS News, 20 Mar. 2025 That included sailing into frigid gusts and plowing through ice floes. Paul Brady, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2025 In winter 2020, Hoppe spent months living on a ship wedged into an ice floe, through the polar night, to study the limits of photosynthesis in the dark. Asher Elbein, WIRED, 2 Mar. 2025 When the line snapped, the dog dove into freezing water to retrieve it, successfully bridging the gap between the two ice floes and pulling the rest of his team to safety. David Kindy, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ice floe

Word History

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ice floe was in 1819

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ice floe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ice%20floe. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

ice floe

noun
: a flat free mass of floating sea ice
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!