ice-age
Noun: - A glacial period: "ice age" refers to a long period of geological time during which the Earth's surface is covered by extensive ice sheets and glaciers, typically lasting millions of years. The most recent ice age occurred during the Pleistocene epoch.
- (A geological period of widespread glaciation.)
- (A time when ice sheets expand and ocean levels fall.)
"the Little Ice Age": a specific, relatively cooler period from about the 14th to the 19th century, marked by glacial expansion in the Northern Hemisphere.
- The Little Ice Age caused crop failures and famines in Europe. (A historical cold period with significant climate impacts.)
"to be in an ice age": to be experiencing a glacial period.
- Earth is currently in an interglacial period within the ongoing Quaternary ice age. (A warm interval between glacial advances.)
Ice-age (adj): relating to or characteristic of an ice age.
- Ice-age landscapes are shaped by glaciers. (Landforms created during glacial periods.)
Glaciation (n): the process of being covered by glaciers or ice sheets.
- The last glaciation covered much of North America. (The formation and spread of ice.)
- Glacial period: a time of extensive ice coverage.
- Glacial epoch: a long-term geological interval dominated by ice.
"an ice age ago": a humorous way to say a very long time ago.
- I last saw him an ice age ago! (A very long time in the past.)
"to live through an ice age": to endure a very difficult or prolonged cold period (often metaphorical).
- The company survived the economic ice age of the recession. (A harsh, prolonged period of difficulty.)
Ice over: to become covered with ice (not specific to ice ages, but related).
- The lake iced over during the cold snap. (The surface froze completely.)
Freeze out: to exclude or force out, often used metaphorically.
- Small businesses were frozen out of the market during the economic ice age. (Excluded from participation.)