glacial

Everyday

1. Glacial means to do with glaciers or ice, as in «glacial valleys». tree →
2. Glacial means extremely cold. tree →
3. Glacial means very slow, as in «at a glacial pace». tree →
4. (informal) Glacial can describe someone who is very unfriendly and cold. tree →

In the lessons

In geography lessons: glacial erosion, U-shaped glacial valleys, the Ice Age; in everyday talk and stories, a glacial wind or a glacial look; phrases: glacial valley, glacial period, glacial pace.

Examples

• Glaciers carved this U-shaped glacial valley. tree →
• A glacial wind blew off the sea. tree →
• Traffic moved at a glacial pace. tree →
• She gave him a glacial stare. tree →
• The lake was formed in the last glacial period. tree →

Note

Say it «GLAY-shul». The noun is «glacier» (river of ice). «Glacial pace» is an idiom meaning very slow.