Icefield

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A significant expanse of solid ice that can be found on land or sea, often resulting from compacted snow and influencing surrounding ecosystems
2. A broad area of persistent, frozen water that significantly affects both the environment and climate in its vicinity
3. An extensive area of ice that covers land continuously without interruption

Etymology: "Icefield" is a plain compound of two English words, "ice" and "field," and its history is simply that of its parts. "Ice" comes from Old English "īs," and "field" from Old English "feld," meaning an open expanse of land. Joined together, the pair describes a broad, open sheet of ice, the way a meadow or battlefield describes a stretch of open ground. The word's meaning follows the sense of "field" as a wide, unbroken area rather than a cultivated plot. That is why icefields are typically vast and level, sweeping across high plateaus or polar regions rather than forming in small patches. The compound is written as one word in this spelling, while "ice field" with a space is an equally standard alternative.

Synonyms: icecap, glacier