Dictionary

ice age en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈaɪ.seɪd͡ʒ/

Etymology

Perhaps a calque of German Eiszeit.

Meanings

1. A period of long-term reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence of major polar ice sheets that reach the ocean and calve icebergs.
   • The earth is currently in the Late Cenozoic Ice Age, an ice age that began 33.9 million years ago with the Antarctic Ice Cap.
2. (colloquial) Any of several glacial periods (within a scientific ice age) marked by episodes of extensive glaciation alternating with episodes of relative warmth (interglacial).
   • The cause of ice ages, Köppen decided, is to be found in cool summers, not brutal winters. 2003, Bill Bryson, A Short History of Nearly Everything, BCA, published 2003, page 377:

Forms

Deriveds

Little Ice Age

Translations (110)

ru леднико́вый пери́од (any of several glacial periods) · sk ľadová doba (any of several glacial periods) · ks یَخہٕ زَمانہٕ (any of several glacial periods) · pt era glacial (period of glaciation at the poles) · ml ഹിമയുഗം (any of several glacial periods) · sv nedisning (any of several glacial periods) · km យុគទឹកកក (any of several glacial periods) · bg ле́дников перио́д (any of several glacial periods) · nb istid (any of several glacial periods) · es era gélida (period of glaciation at the poles) · uz muzlik davri (any of several glacial periods) · vi kỷ băng hà (any of several glacial periods) · gd Linn na Deighe (any of several glacial periods) · sh ledeno doba (any of several glacial periods) · nn istid (any of several glacial periods) · it era glaciale (any of several glacial periods) · hu jégkorszak (any of several glacial periods) · az buz dövrü (any of several glacial periods) · af ystydperk (any of several glacial periods) · id zaman es (any of several glacial periods) · lv ledus laikmets (any of several glacial periods) · de Eiszeitalter (period of glaciation at the poles) · mt Żmien is-Silġ (any of several glacial periods) · es edad de hielo (period of glaciation at the poles) · cs doba ledová (any of several glacial periods) · ja 氷河時代 (any of several glacial periods) · pt período glacial (any of several glacial periods) · lb Äiszäit (any of several glacial periods) · et jääaeg (any of several glacial periods) · th ยุคน้ำแข็ง (any of several glacial periods) · ro epocă glaciară (period of glaciation at the poles) · ta பனி யுகம் (any of several glacial periods) · bn হিমযুগ (any of several glacial periods) · ur بَرْفَانی عَہْد (any of several glacial periods) · fr englaciation (any of several glacial periods) · ky муз доору (any of several glacial periods) · es época álgida (period of glaciation at the poles) · lt ledynmetis (any of several glacial periods) · ka გამყინვარების პერიოდი (any of several glacial periods) · tl panahon ng yelo (any of several glacial periods) · my ရေခဲခေတ် (any of several glacial periods) · es período arrecido (period of glaciation at the poles) · hi हिमयुग (period of glaciation at the poles) · sl ledena doba (any of several glacial periods) · sh ледено доба (any of several glacial periods) · ro eră glaciară (period of glaciation at the poles) · ko 빙하기 (any of several glacial periods) · mn мөстлөгийн үе (any of several glacial periods) · pt era do gelo (any of several glacial periods) · ga oighearaois (any of several glacial periods) · eu glaziazio (any of several glacial periods) · hu eljegesedés (any of several glacial periods) · nl ijstijd (any of several glacial periods) · el Εποχή των Παγετώνων (any of several glacial periods) · es evo glacial (period of glaciation at the poles) · af ystydperk (period of glaciation at the poles) · cmn 冰河期 (any of several glacial periods) · ar عَصْر جَلِيدِيّ (any of several glacial periods) · ru оледене́ние (any of several glacial periods) · hi हिमयुग (any of several glacial periods) · mk ледено време (any of several glacial periods) · sv istid (any of several glacial periods) · da istid (any of several glacial periods) · eo glaciepoko (any of several glacial periods) · ca època glacial (any of several glacial periods) · pt idade do gelo (period of glaciation at the poles) · gv eash rioee (any of several glacial periods) · pt era glacial (any of several glacial periods) · de Eiszeit (any of several glacial periods) · is ísöld (any of several glacial periods) · he עִדַּן קֶרַח \ עידן קרח (any of several glacial periods) · ms zaman air batu (any of several glacial periods) · uk льодовико́вий пері́од (any of several glacial periods) · kk мұз дәуірі (any of several glacial periods) · de Eiszeitalter (any of several glacial periods) · fy iistiid (any of several glacial periods) · hy սառցե դարաշրջան (any of several glacial periods) · fr âge de glace (any of several glacial periods) · ur بَرْفَانی دَور (any of several glacial periods) · be ледніко́вы пэры́яд (any of several glacial periods) · sq koha e akullit (any of several glacial periods) · ug مۇز دەۋرى (any of several glacial periods) · pl epoka lodowcowa (any of several glacial periods) · be ледніко́вы перы́яд (any of several glacial periods) · fr période glaciaire (any of several glacial periods) · ru обледене́ние (any of several glacial periods) · es periodo helado (period of glaciation at the poles) · cmn 冰期 (any of several glacial periods) · uk льодовико́ва е́ра (any of several glacial periods) · tr buzul çağı (any of several glacial periods) · ko 빙하시대 (any of several glacial periods) · ja 氷河期 (any of several glacial periods) · fr glaciation (any of several glacial periods) · de Glazial (any of several glacial periods) · es glaciación (any of several glacial periods) · fr âge de glace (period of glaciation at the poles) · ro glaciațiune (any of several glacial periods) · cy Oes yr Iâ (any of several glacial periods) · tg давраи яхбандӣ (any of several glacial periods) · ko 빙기 (any of several glacial periods) · fa-ira عَصْرِ یَخی (any of several glacial periods) · fa-ira عَصْرِ یَخْبَنْدان (any of several glacial periods) · sv istid (period of glaciation at the poles) · pt idade do gelo (any of several glacial periods) · ro perioadă glaciară (period of glaciation at the poles) · cmn 冰河時期 /冰河时期 (any of several glacial periods) · bg ле́дников перио́д (period of glaciation at the poles) · fi jääkausi (any of several glacial periods) · kn ಹಿಮಯುಗ (any of several glacial periods) · ar عَصْر جَلِيدِيّ (period of glaciation at the poles)