ice pop

IPA/ˈaɪs ˌpɒp/
IPA/ˈaɪs ˌpɑːp/

ice pop — noun

1. a sweet frozen snack sold as a long thin tube of coloured, flavoured ice sealed

1.nounA2
Definition

a sweet frozen snack sold as a long thin tube of coloured, flavoured ice sealed inside a plastic sleeve. You cut or tear the top off to eat the icy, drink-like contents.

Example

After school, Linh grabbed an ice pop from the freezer and cut the top off.

collocation: cut the top off an ice pop

The children sat on the porch, sucking the cold juice from their ice pops.

Common collocations
  • cut the top off
  • tear open
  • squeeze the tube
  • suck the liquid
Synonyms
  • freeze pop

    American English term for exactly the same tube-shaped product

  • ice lolly

    British English term that covers both tube-shaped and stick-based frozen treats

Grammar Patterns

ice pop (countable)

Usage Note

Used mainly in British English. In American English, this type of frozen treat is often called a 'freezie' or 'freeze pop'.

Common Mistakes

I ate an ice pop.' (for the tube kind, you do not eat the plastic)
I had an ice pop.' or 'I drank the juice from an ice pop.
the tube itself is not edible; you drink the icy liquid inside.

2. a sweet frozen snack made by freezing flavoured water, juice, or yoghurt around

2.nounA2
Definition

a sweet frozen snack made by freezing flavoured water, juice, or yoghurt around a short stick so you can hold it while licking or biting the frozen part.

Example

Caio wiped sticky hands on a napkin after finishing a strawberry ice pop.

adjective describing flavour: strawberry ice pop

Yasmin usually picks ice pops made from real fruit juice instead of sugary syrup.

Common collocations
  • lick the ice pop
  • bite the ice pop
  • melt in the sun
  • drip onto the ground
  • strawberry / cherry / orange ice pop
Synonyms
  • popsicle

    American English term; also a trademark that has become a generic name for frozen treats on a stick

  • ice lolly

    British English term covering both types but most commonly used for stick-based frozen treats

Grammar Patterns

ice pop (countable)

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1 (TUBE-SHAPED): this sense always includes a visible wooden or plastic stick protruding from the frozen part. Sense 1 has no stick — the plastic tube is the container.

Common Mistakes

I ate a tube ice pop with a stick.' (confuses the two types)
I ate a stick ice pop.' or specify the type
tube-shaped (plastic sleeve) or on a stick (popsicle).

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

'Ice pop' is the British English term for a frozen treat on a stick, typically made from fruit-flavoured water or juice. 'Popsicle' is the American English equivalent and originated as a trademark in the 1920s; it remains the dominant term in the US and Canada, even though it is still legally a brand name. 'Ice lolly' is another British term that can refer either to a stick-based frozen treat or to the tube-shaped variety, making it slightly broader in meaning. Unlike 'popsicle', which always implies a stick, 'ice lolly' in British usage may also describe the plastic-tube type depending on region. In Taiwan, 冰棒 is the everyday term and covers both stick and tube varieties, though 冰條 is also used for the tube-shaped type.

ice pop ↗popsicle ↗ice lolly

Common collocations

Nouns

Etymology

Old EnglishProto-GermanicEnglish

'Ice pop' is a compound formed from 'ice' (frozen water, from Old English 'īs', from Proto-Germanic 'īsą') and 'pop' (short for 'popsicle' or 'lollipop', possibly imitative of a popping sound or a child's word for a sweet treat). The term became common in British English during the mid-20th century as factory-made frozen treats grew popular. While 'popsicle' remains a US trademark, 'ice pop' is the descriptive generic term used in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.

First known use

1884

1884, in the meaning defined above