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glacial

 - 4 dictionary results

gla⋅cial

  [gley-shuhl]
–adjective
1. of or pertaining to glaciers or ice sheets.
2. resulting from or associated with the action of ice or glaciers: glacial terrain.
3. characterized by the presence of ice in extensive masses or glaciers.
4. bitterly cold; icy: a glacial winter wind.
5. happening or moving extremely slowly: The work proceeded at a glacial pace.
6. icily unsympathetic or immovable: a glacial stare; glacial indifference.
7. Chemistry. of, pertaining to, or tending to develop into icelike crystals: glacial phosphoric acid.
Use glacial in a Sentence
Origin:
1650–60; < L glaciālis icy, equiv. to glaci(ēs) ice + -ālis -al 1

Related forms:
gla⋅cial⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
4. chill, freezing, frigid, wintry. 6. forbidding, unfriendly, hostile.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
Cite This Source Link To glacial
gla·cial   (glā'shəl)   
adj.  

    1. Of, relating to, or derived from a glacier.

    2. Suggesting the extreme slowness of a glacier: Work proceeded at a glacial pace.

    3. often Glacial Characterized or dominated by the existence of glaciers. Used of a geologic epoch.

    4. Pleistocene. See Table at geologic time.

    5. Lacking warmth and friendliness: a glacial stare.

    6. Coldly detached: a glacial composure.

    1. often Glacial Characterized or dominated by the existence of glaciers. Used of a geologic epoch.

    2. Pleistocene. See Table at geologic time.

    3. Lacking warmth and friendliness: a glacial stare.

    4. Coldly detached: a glacial composure.

  3. Extremely cold; icy: glacial waters. See Synonyms at cold.

  4. Having the appearance of ice.

    1. Lacking warmth and friendliness: a glacial stare.

    2. Coldly detached: a glacial composure.


[French from Old French, icy, from Latin glaciālis, from glaciēs, ice; see gel- in Indo-European roots.]
gla'cial·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

glacial 
1656, from Fr. glacial, from L. glacialis "icy, frozen, full of ice," from glacies "ice," from PIE base *gel- "cold" (cf. L. gelu "frost"). Geological sense apparently coined by Professor E. Forbes, 1846.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Science Dictionary
glacial   (glā'shəl)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. Relating to or derived from a glacier.

  2. Characterized or dominated by the existence of glaciers, as the Pleistocene Epoch.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
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