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glacial

icy, glacial

adjective glah-SYAL Rare

Origin: Latin 'glacialis' (icy)

Also means

freezing cold (manner)

Usage Note

Glacial describes extreme cold — un vent glacial (an icy wind) — but is also used figuratively for a cold, unfriendly manner: un accueil glacial (an icy reception). The plural masculine is glaciaux (following the -al/-aux pattern), and the feminine is glaciale. An ère glaciale is an ice age.

Examples

"Un vent glacial soufflait sur la plaine."

Natural Translation

An icy wind blew across the plain.

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