subglacial

adjective

sub·​gla·​cial ˌsəb-ˈglā-shəl How to pronounce subglacial (audio)
: of or relating to the bottom of a glacier or the area immediately underlying a glacier
subglacially
ˌsəb-ˈglā-shə-lē How to pronounce subglacial (audio)
adverb

Examples of subglacial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
These would then be used to shuttle around nuclear missiles in a great, subglacial game of cat and mouse. — Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2024 Even on cold planets far from their stars, liquid water can exist beneath thick ice layers, as subglacial lakes or through internal heating. — Victoria Corless, Space.com, 29 Jan. 2026 As temperatures warm, moulins have become more common, and the resulting flow of subglacial meltwater is accelerating the movement of ice toward the ocean. — Chloe Berge, Travel + Leisure, 13 Mar. 2025 The technique the European researchers describe can be used only to study the subglacial parts of Mars at the poles, where the radar can actually penetrate the surface. — IEEE Spectrum, 25 July 2018 See All Example Sentences for subglacial

Word History

First Known Use

1820, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of subglacial was in 1820

Rhymes for subglacial

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Browse Nearby Words

subglabrous
subglacial
subglenoid
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Cite this Entry

“Subglacial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subglacial. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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