ice

The word “ice” means water that has frozen solid. In plain terms, frozen water, or by extension, coldness — literal (a cold drink) or figurative (a cold reception).

“Ice” is pronounced ys (/aɪs/ in IPA).

Here is “ice” used in a sentence: “The pond froze over into a thick sheet of ice.”

Depending on how it is used, “ice” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “ice” comes from Old English. From Old English is, going back to a very old Germanic root for "ice" or "frost.".

“Ice” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

“Ice” has 6 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: water that has frozen solid.

Under normal conditions, fresh water freezes into ice at 0 degrees Celsius, which is 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Adding salt or other substances lowers this freezing point, which is why salt is spread on icy roads. Pure water can even stay liquid slightly below zero if it is very still.

Ice floats because it is less dense than liquid water. When water freezes, its molecules lock into an open, ordered structure that takes up more space, so a given amount of ice weighs less than the same volume of water. This unusual property lets ice form on top of lakes and seas.

Ice is water that has frozen into a solid mass, such as a cube or a sheet on a pond. Frost is a thin, feathery layer of ice crystals that forms directly from water vapor onto cold surfaces like grass or windows. Frost is essentially ice in delicate crystal form.

When ice is warmed above its freezing point, it melts back into liquid water, absorbing heat as it changes state. Its temperature stays at 0 degrees Celsius until all the ice has melted. This is why ice cools drinks so well — it draws heat from its surroundings as it turns to water.