icecap

icecap — noun

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

1.名詞B2
釋義

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

例句

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

同義詞
  • 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

文法句型

the [place] icecap

polar / Arctic / Antarctic icecap

icecap + verb (melts, shrinks, covers)

用法筆記

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).

常見錯誤

❌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.名詞C1
釋義

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

例句

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

同義詞
  • 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

文法句型

an icecap (on [body part])

place / put an icecap on [head / forehead]

use / wear an icecap

用法筆記

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.

常見錯誤

❌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.