icecap

IPA/ˈaɪskap/
IPA/ˈaɪskæp/

icecap — noun

1. a large area of ice and snow that stays frozen all year round, covering the land

1.nounB2
Definition

a large area of ice and snow that stays frozen all year round, covering the land in polar regions or on very high mountains, and which slowly moves outward under its own weight

Example

The Greenland icecap holds enough frozen water to raise sea levels by several metres.

icecap holds [amount] of frozen water

Climate scientists measure how fast the polar icecap melts each summer using satellite images.

polar icecap melts

Common collocations
  • polar icecap
  • Greenland icecap
  • Arctic icecap
  • icecap melts
  • icecap shrinks
  • icecap covers
  • drill into the icecap
  • satellite images of the icecap
Synonyms
  • ice sheet

    larger than an icecap — covers entire continental areas (e.g. Antarctica) rather than a more limited land area

  • ice field

    flatter than an icecap, without a central dome; often found in mountainous regions

  • glacier

    a moving river of ice that flows downhill, unlike an icecap which is a static dome

Grammar Patterns

the [place] icecap

polar / Arctic / Antarctic icecap

icecap + verb (melts, shrinks, covers)

Usage Note

Frequently used with the name of a place (Greenland icecap, Vatnajökull icecap) or a region (polar icecap). Not to be confused with iceberg (a large piece of ice floating in the sea that has broken off a glacier) or ice shelf (ice that floats on the ocean but is attached to the land).

Common Mistakes

The Titanic hit an icecap.
The Titanic hit an iceberg.
an icecap covers land; an iceberg floats in the sea.
Scientists drill into the Arctic ice shelf to study past climates.
Scientists drill into the Arctic icecap to study past climates.
an ice shelf floats on water; an icecap sits on land.

2. a cloth or rubber bag filled with ice, shaped to fit the top of a person's head,

2.nounC1
Definition

a cloth or rubber bag filled with ice, shaped to fit the top of a person's head, used to reduce fever, pain, or swelling after an injury or surgery

Example

After the surgery, the nurse placed an icecap on Maeve's forehead to bring down the swelling.

placed an icecap on [body part]

Rania kept the icecap in place with a bandage wrapped around her head.

kept the icecap in place

Common collocations
  • place an icecap
  • an icecap on the head
  • wear an icecap
  • icecap reduces swelling
  • icecap brings down fever
Synonyms
  • ice pack

    general term for any bag of ice used to cool the body; not specifically shaped for the head

  • ice bag

    a rubber or plastic bag filled with ice; the broadest term

  • cold compress

    a cloth soaked in cold water or filled with ice, used more generally for any body part

Grammar Patterns

an icecap (on [body part])

place / put an icecap on [head / forehead]

use / wear an icecap

Usage Note

This sense is primarily a medical or hospital term. In everyday conversation, most English speakers say ice pack or ice bag for any body part. icecap in this meaning is reserved for a head-shaped bag.

Common Mistakes

Put an icecap on your swollen ankle.
Put an ice pack on your swollen ankle.
an icecap is specially shaped for the head, not for other body parts.
She wore an icecap to keep her head warm in winter.
She wore a beanie / wool hat to keep her head warm.
an icecap is a medical cold-pack, not clothing.

Word family

  • ice
    nounA1
  • cap
    nounB1
  • iceberg
    nounB1
  • ice pack
    nounB2
  • icy
    adjectiveB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Icecap, ice sheet, ice field, glacier, and ice shelf all describe bodies of ice, but they differ in size, shape, location, and movement. An icecap is a dome-shaped mass of ice that covers the land beneath and moves outward slowly under its own weight; it is smaller than an ice sheet but larger than most glaciers. An ice sheet, by contrast, covers entire continental areas — the two on Earth today are the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, each spanning millions of square kilometres. An ice field is flatter than an icecap and lacks a central dome; it often sits in mountainous terrain where ridges separate the ice into connected lobes. A glacier is a river of ice that flows downhill through a valley and is much more restricted in width than an icecap. An ice shelf floats on the ocean but remains attached to the land at its edge, whereas an icecap sits entirely on land. For example, scientists say 'the Greenland icecap is melting' when referring to the whole land-based ice cover, but they would say 'the Larsen C ice shelf broke off' for a floating section.

ice sheetice fieldglacierice shelf

Common collocations

Nouns

  • icecap
  • climate
  • melting
  • satellite

Phrases

  • the edge of the icecap
  • drill into the icecap
  • retreat of the icecap

Prepositions

  • under the icecap
  • on top of the icecap
  • over the icecap

Etymology

Old EnglishLate LatinEnglish

icecap is a compound word formed from ice + cap. The word ice goes back to Old English īs, and cap to Old English cæppe (meaning a head covering), which came from Late Latin cappa. The geographical sense — a cap of ice covering land — was first recorded in the 1850s in descriptions of mountain peaks and polar regions. The medical sense, extending the idea of a 'cap' that fits over the head, appeared in the early 1900s as hospitals began using shaped ice bags for head injuries and fevers.