Word origins - 2ed. J. Ayto. 2005.
icicle — (n.) early 14c., isykle, from is ice + ikel icicle, from O.E. gicel icicle, ice (rel. to cylegicel cold ice ), from P.Gmc. *jekilaz (Cf. O.N. jaki piece of ice, dim. jökull icicle, ice, glacier; O.H.G. ihilla … Etymology dictionary
Icicle — (yacht) is also the name of the largest Ice yacht An icicle is a spike of ice formed when water dripping or falling from an object freezes. Typically, icicles will form when ice or snow is melted by either sunlight or some other heat source (such … Wikipedia
icicle — [ī′sik΄əl, ī′sə kəl] n. [ME isikel < OE * īsgicel (akin to ON isjökull) < īs, ICE + gicel, piece of ice, icicle (Brit dial. ickle), akin to ON jökull, icicle, glacier, jaki, lump of ice < IE base * yeg , ice > MIr aig, Welsh iā, ice,… … English World dictionary
Icicle — I ci*cle, n. [OE. isikel, AS. [=i]sgicel; [=i]s ice + gicel icicle; akin to Icel. j[ o]kull; cf. Gael. eigh ice, Ir. aigh.] A pendent, and usually conical, mass of ice, formed by freezing of dripping water; as, the icicles on the eaves of a house … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
icicle — ► NOUN ▪ a hanging, tapering piece of ice formed by the freezing of dripping water. ORIGIN from ICE(Cf. ↑iced) + dialect ickle «icicle», from Old English … English terms dictionary
icicle — [14] Historically, icicle is a tautology, meaning literally ‘ice icicle’. It originated in Middle English as a compound of ice and ickel ‘icicle’. This word, which survived dialectally into the 20th century as ickle, goes back to Old English… … The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins
icicle — noun Etymology: Middle English isikel, from is ice + ikel icicle, from Old English gicel; akin to Old High German ihilla icicle, Middle Irish aig ice Date: 14th century 1. a pendent mass of ice formed by the freezing of dripping water 2. an… … New Collegiate Dictionary
icicle — n. an icicle forms; hangs down * * * [ aɪsɪk(ə)l] hangs down an icicle forms … Combinatory dictionary
icicle — UK [ˈaɪsɪk(ə)l] / US noun [countable] Word forms icicle : singular icicle plural icicles a long thin piece of ice that hangs down from somewhere … English dictionary
icicle — icicled, adj. /uy si keuhl/, n. 1. a pendent, tapering mass of ice formed by the freezing of dripping water. 2. a thin strip of paper, plastic, or foil, usually silvery, for hanging on a Christmas tree as decoration. 3. a cold, unemotional person … Universalium
