Phrase guide

drift ice

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

One or more floating slabs of ice which have become detached from larger sheets or shoreline glaciers and which are moved by wind or sea currents.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

masses of ice floating in the open sea

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: ice

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

10 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: gel a la deriva — detached, floating slabs of ice
  • Finnish: ajojää — detached, floating slabs of ice
  • German: Treibeis — detached, floating slabs of ice
  • Hungarian: úszó/zajló jégtábla — detached, floating slabs of ice
  • Japanese: 流氷 (ryūhyō) — detached, floating slabs of ice
  • Korean: 유빙 (yubing) — detached, floating slabs of ice
  • Polish: pak lodowy — detached, floating slabs of ice
  • Polish: lód pakowy — detached, floating slabs of ice
  • Polish: lód dryfujący — detached, floating slabs of ice
  • Swedish: drivis — detached, floating slabs of ice