Meanings
- 1
Thesaurus
Simplified etymology
Icicle arose in the early Middle Ages by combining ice with ickle, an earlier word for a hanging, tapering piece of ice. The compound was sometimes written as two words into the 17th century, after which its original structure became obscure and icicle became the standard form.
Etymology
From Middle English isykle, descended from an Old English compound of is, 'ice,' and gicel, 'icicle.' Its ending was later reshaped under the influence of learned words ending in -icle, obscuring the original native compound.