ice age

noun

Definition of ice age

1 : a time of widespread glaciation

2 capitalized I&A : the Pleistocene glacial epoch

Examples of ice age in a Sentence

changes that occurred during the last ice age

Recent Examples on the Web

When the most recent ice age ended, the melting of the ice sheets sitting atop western Eurasia and much of North America increased GMSL by around 120 metres. — The Economist, "Climate change is a remorseless threat to the world’s coasts," 17 Aug. 2019 One of Florida’s most photogenic birds with its pink and reddish plumage and spatula-like bill, the spoonbill has weathered environmental shifts, even ice ages, dating back to its dinosaur origins. — Anders Gyllenhaal, sun-sentinel.com, "For one rare bird, flight from South Florida’s changing climate sparks a surprising revival," 29 June 2019 Those animals lived 50,000 to 200,000 years ago during the Pleistocene Epoch, also known as the ice age. — Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Whale fossil found at Oceanside resort construction site," 9 June 2019 What’s next is not so much a trade war or even a cold war as the dawn of an ice age in relations between China and the United States. — Eric Levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "After Trump’s New Tariff Threat, China Seeks Strategy for Retaliation," 11 July 2018 Through the work of passionate individuals curious of Oregon's rich past, there now exists a greater understanding of ancient animals and landscapes that once dominated the area in the last great ice age. — Herald And News, OregonLive.com, "Columbian Mammoth tracks found at Fossil Lake," 5 Mar. 2018 Since then, researchers have discovered that the trees predate the most recent ice age, which occurred about 12,000 to 18,000 years ago, by nearly 40,000 years. — Sara Sneath, NOLA.com, "Underwater forest in the Gulf acts as climate change time capsule," 12 Feb. 2018 This week in Montreal, however, residents discovered a whole new unknown about the world beneath their feet: a vast network of underground tunnels dating back to the ice age, unseen by anyone for thousands of years. — Louis Cheslaw, Condé Nast Traveler, "A Network of Ancient Caves Was Just Discovered Under Montreal," 7 Dec. 2017 The groups probably split during the ice ages, when glaciers repeatedly covered northern Europe. — Quanta Magazine, "As Animals Mingle, a Baffling Genetic Barrier," 5 Aug. 2014

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ice age.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.