ice shelf

noun

: shelf ice
In 2002, a Rhode Island-size section of an ice shelf crumbled into the sea.Joe McGowan

Examples of ice shelf 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.
Secrets of the Penguins already has one of those moments in the bag in the shape of footage released last year that caught baby emperor penguins jumping off Antarctica’s 50-foot Ekström ice shelf into the water below. Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 14 Apr. 2025 An iceberg the size of Chicago that broke off of an Antarctic ice shelf has revealed a thriving ecosystem beneath it, according to researchers. Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 31 Mar. 2025 Earlier this month the plot of a real-life horror story played out on a cliff edge, 105 miles inland from the ice shelf. Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2025 Calving of ice shelves along the Antarctic coastline is also a natural part of Earth’s process, and there is nothing to be immediately concerned about with any individual iceberg calving, Brearley said. Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 15 Aug. 2024 See All Example Sentences for ice shelf

Word History

First Known Use

1869, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ice shelf was in 1869

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ice shelf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ice%20shelf. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

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!