floe
UK[fləʊ]US[floʊ]
n
A large, flat area of floating ice, typically found on the sea.
Etymology
The word 'floe' entered English in the early 19th century, borrowed directly from the Norwegian word 'flo', which means 'layer' or 'stratum'. This Norwegian term is itself derived from Old Norse 'fló', which carried the same meaning. The specific application to a sheet of floating ice is a Scandinavian development, likely influenced by the maritime environment. English explorers and whalers adopted this precise term from Norwegian to describe the distinct, flat ice formations they encountered in polar seas, differentiating it from the more generic 'ice'.
Analysis
This word is a simplex loanword from Norwegian. Its spelling and form were adopted directly into English.
Examples
The ship navigated carefully through the field of ice floes.
A large floe had broken away from the main ice shelf.
Polar bears often use ice floes as platforms for hunting seals.