ice

UK: /ˈaɪs/ US: /aɪs/ ,(īs)

Inflections of 'ice' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

ices

v 3rd person singular

icing

v pres p

iced

v past

iced

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

ice /aɪs/   n., v., iced, ic•ing. 
n. 

1. Meteorology the solid form of water;
   frozen water:
   [uncountable] skating on the ice.
2. Meteorology pieces of this frozen water, used to keep things cool or cold:
   [uncountable] I'll have some ice with my soda, please.
3. any substance resembling frozen water:
   [uncountable] Dry ice is frozen carbon dioxide.
4. a frozen dessert made of sweetened water and fruit juice:
   [countable] a cherry ice.
5. British Terms [countable] a portion or serving of ice cream.
6. [uncountable] [Slang.] diamonds.

v. 

7. ice up or over, to cover or to become covered with ice: [no obj]:
   The airport runway iced over.
   [ ~ + obj + up]:
   The cold has iced the windshield up.
   [ ~ + up + obj]:
   to ice up the windshield.
8. to make cool or cold with or as if with ice:
   [~ + object] Ice the area of the sprain with an ice pack.
9. Food to cover with icing;
   frost:
   [~ + object] to ice a cake.

Idioms

10. Idioms break the ice:
    • to act in a friendly way, as by overcoming awkwardness or formality:
      His joke broke the ice.
11. Idioms on ice:
    • in a state of being held back:
      Let's put that plan on ice for now.
12. Idioms (skating) on thin ice, in a dangerous, difficult, or delicate situation:
    You'll be on very thin ice if you fail the course.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

ice  (īs), n., v., iced, ic•ing, adj. 
n. 

1. Meteorology the solid form of water, produced by freezing;
   frozen water.
2. Meteorology the frozen surface of a body of water.
3. any substance resembling frozen water:
   camphor ice.
4. a frozen dessert made of sweetened water and fruit juice.
5. British Terms See ice cream. 
6. icing, as on a cake.
7. reserve;
   formality:
   The ice of his manner betrayed his dislike of the new ambassador.
8. Slang Terms
   • 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.
9. Idioms 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.
10. Idioms cut no ice, [Informal.] to have no influence or importance;
    fail to impress:
    Her father's position cuts no ice with me.
11. Idioms 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.
12. Idioms 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. 

v.t. 

13. Food to cover with ice.
14. to change into ice;
    freeze.
15. to cool with ice, as a drink.
16. Food to cover (cake, sweet rolls, etc.) with icing;
    frost.
17. to refrigerate with ice, as air.
18. to make cold, as if with ice.
19. to preserve by placing on ice.
20. Sport [Ice Hockey.] (esp. in Canada) to put (a team) into formal play.
21. Slang Terms
    • 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, esp. to murder:
      The mobsters threatened to ice him if he went to the police.
22. Sport to establish a winning score or insurmountable lead in or otherwise assure victory in (a game or contest):
    Her second goal iced the game.

v.i. 

23. to change to ice;
    freeze:
    The sherbet is icing in the refrigerator.
24. to be coated with ice (often fol. by up):
    The windshield has iced up.
25. Idioms ice it, [Slang.] stop it;
    that's enough:
    You've been complaining all day, so ice it.
26. Sport, Idioms ice the puck, [Ice Hockey.] to hit the puck to the far end of the rink, esp. from the defensive area across the offensive area.

adj. 

27. of or made of ice:
    ice shavings; an ice sculpture.
28. for holding ice and food or drink to be chilled:
    an ice bucket; an ice chest.
29. on or done on the ice:
    ice yachting.

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

ice′less, adj. 
ice′like′, adj. 

-ice, 

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

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

Ice., 

1. Place Names Iceland.
2. Place Names Icelandic.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

ice / aɪs/ noun

1. water in the solid state, formed by freezing liquid water
   Related adjective(s): glacial
2. a portion of ice cream
3. a diamond or diamonds
4. a concentrated and highly potent form of methamphetamine with dangerous side effects
5. break the ice ⇒ to relieve shyness, etc, esp between strangers
6. to be the first of a group to do something
7. on ice ⇒ in abeyance; pending
8. on thin ice ⇒ unsafe or unsafely; vulnerable or vulnerably
9. the Ice ⇒ Antarctica

verb

1. often followed by up, over, etc: to form or cause to form ice; freeze
2. (transitive) to mix with ice or chill (a drink, etc)
3. (transitive) to cover (a cake, etc) with icing

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

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

ICE abbreviation

1. (in Britain) Institution of Civil Engineers

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Ice. abbreviation

1. Iceland(ic)