Definition

1. Noun:
   • A large expanse of floating ice: A mass of ice, typically sea ice, floating on the ocean's surface.
   • A waterproof bag filled with ice: A flexible container holding ice or a frozen gel, applied to a part of the body to reduce swelling, relieve pain, or lower temperature.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Floating Ice):

  • The ship carefully navigated through the dense ice pack in the Arctic Ocean.
  • Scientists are studying the reduction of the polar ice pack due to climate change.

• Noun (Medical Application):

  • After spraining her ankle, she used an ice pack to reduce the swelling.
  • The nurse applied an ice pack to the patient's forehead to bring down the fever.

Advanced Usage

• "to break through the ice pack": Refers to a ship or vehicle forcing a path through an area of consolidated floating ice.

  • The icebreaker was designed to break through the thick ice pack.

• "reusable ice pack": A common term for a gel-filled pack that can be frozen and used multiple times, as opposed to a single-use bag.

  • For his lunchbox, he prefers a reusable ice pack to keep his food cold.

Variants and Related Words

• Ice bag: A synonym, though less common, for the medical cold compress.
• Pack ice: A variant term, often used interchangeably with 'ice pack' to describe the floating ice expanse.
• Cold compress: A more general term for something applied to the body to reduce swelling or pain with cold.

Synonyms

• Floating ice field (for the ice expanse).
• Cold pack or gel pack (for the medical application).

Related Phrases

• Ice pack therapy: The therapeutic application of cold using an ice pack.
  • Ice pack therapy is recommended for the first 48 hours after an acute injury.

Idioms

Noun

1. a large expanse of floating ice
2. a waterproof bag filled with ice: applied to the body (especially the head) to cool or reduce swelling