ice

1 /aIs/ noun

1 (U) water that has frozen into a solid state: Would you like some ice in your drink? | The wind blew the snow across the ice on the lake. | Her hands were as cold as ice.

2 keep/put something on ice to do nothing about a plan or suggestion for a period of time: Opposition to Irish home rule was put on ice for the duration of the war.

3 be (skating) on thin ice to be in a situation in which you are likely to upset someone or cause trouble: Don't question him too closely about where he got the money - you'd be on very thin ice.

4 (C)

a) a cold sweet food like ice cream, made with fruit juice instead of milk or cream; sorbet

b) old-fashioned especially BrE an ice cream

5 (U) AmE old-fashioned diamonds

—see also: icy, black ice, dry ice, break the ice break 1 (30), cut no ice cut 1 (35) 2 verb (T) especially BrE to cover a cake with icing (=a mixture made of liquid and powdery sugar) —compare frost 2 ice sth down phrasal verb (T) AmE to cover an injury in ice to stop it from swelling: Make sure you ice that ankle down as soon as you get inside. ice over/up also be iced over/up phrasal verb (I) to become covered with ice: The lake was iced over by morning. | The plane's engines had iced up.