firn

[ feern ]
See synonyms for firn on Thesaurus.com
noun

Origin of firn

1
1850–55; <German (Swiss), noun use of firn last year's, old; cognate with Old English fyrn former, ancient, Gothic fairneis; akin to Old Norse forn ancient. See before

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British Dictionary definitions for firn

firn

/ (fɪən) /


noun
  1. another name for névé (def. 1)

Origin of firn

1
C19: from German (Swiss dialect) firn of the previous year, from Old High German firni old

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for firn

firn

[ fîrn ]


  1. Granular, partially consolidated snow that has passed through one summer melt season but is not yet glacial ice. Firn becomes glacial ice once it has become impermeable to liquid water.

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