icicle
(ˈaɪsɪk(ə)l)
Forms: α. (1 {iacu}ses ᵹicel), 4 ysse-ikkle, ysekele, isechele, isykle, 5 iseȝekille, izekelle, hyse-hykylle, 6 yse-yckel, ice-ickel, 6–7 ysicle, isikle, isicle, 7 ycicle, icikle, isickle, iceycle, -icle, 7–8 isecle, 8– icicle. β. 6–7 ice-sickle, 7 -sicle, -sickel, -seekel. γ. 4 ise-yokel; Sc. and dial. 6 isch(e-, yse-, ice-schokkill (pl. -schoklis), 7 ice-shokle, 8 -shogle, 9 -shockle, -shoggle, -shoglin, -shog, -shackle.
[OE. type *{iacu}s-ᵹicel (for which is actually found {iacu}ses ᵹicel), f. {iacu}s ice + ᵹicel ickle n.; corresp. to MLG. îs-jokel (LG. îs-jukel, -jäkel, -oekel, EFris. isjökel), Da. isjokkel, dial. iisegle (but the usual Da. word is istap), Norw. isjukel. In English the second element has retained an independent stress only in some corrupt dialect forms; but the word was app. sometimes pronounced as a compound in the 17th c. Of the dialect γ-forms, the ME. ise-yokel corresponds to several continental forms with jokel instead of ickle; perhaps the ice-schokle, isch-schokle forms are to be referred to an earlier isch-yokel type. Thence arose further corruptions, ice-shackle, -shoggle, etc., and the second element came to be a separate word in Sc.; see shockle, shoggle.]
1. A pendent ice-formation resembling a rod tapering downward to a point, produced by the freezing of successive drops of water falling or trickling from the point of attachment, as from the eaves of a house or other overhanging point.
| α c 1000 ælfric Gloss. in Wr.-Wülcker 117/14 Stiria, stillicidia, ises ᵹicel. 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 732 Claterande fro the crest þe colde borne rennez & henged heȝe ouer his hede in hard ysse-ikkles. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xvii. 227 Ysekeles [v.r. iseyokels, C. isykles, isecheles] in eueses þorw hete of þe sonne Melteth in a mynut while to myst & to watre. 1483 Cath. Angl. 198/2 An Izekelle (A. Iseȝekille), stirium, stiricus. 1579 Spenser Sheph. Cal. Jan. 36 Whose drops in drery ysicles remaine. 1624 Capt. Smith Virginia iii. ii. 49 The boughs of a great tree loaded with Isickles. 1712 W. Rogers Voy. 348 Pieces of Stone, resembling Salt, which congeal like Icecles, as the Water drops from the Rock. 1860 Tyndall Glac. i. ii. 21 Eaves of snow, from which long icicles depended. 1887 R. Buchanan Heir of Linne vii, The girl was cold as an icicle. |
| β 1514 Barclay Cyt. & Uplondyshm. (Percy Soc.) 3 The longe yse sycles at the hewsys honge. 1598 Florio, Ghiacciuoli, ise-sickles, dropping ises. 1605 Timme Quersit. iii. 155 Congealed..into ise-sickels. 1632 Sherwood, Ice-seekles, gouttes gelees. 1680 Answ. Stillingfleet's Serm. 28 We see what Icesicles are hanging on the Eves of the Parliament House at this Motion. |
| γ 1377 [see α]. c 1480 Henryson Test. Cres. (1593) 160 The ice-schoklis that fra his hair doun hang Was wonder greit, and as ane speir als lang. 1513 Douglas æneis vii. Prol. 62 Gret isch schoklis lang as ony spere. 1630 Drummond of Hawthornden Poems, Shadow of Judgem., A mountain lifteth up his crested head: His locks are ice-shockles, his brows are snow. 1721 Ramsay I'll never leave thee v, Bid iceshogles hammer red Gauds on the studdy. 1805 J. Nicol Poems II. 158 (Jam.) But wi' poortith, hearts het as a cinder Will cald as an ice-shogle turn. 1825 Brockett, Ice-shoggle, an icicle. 1828 Craven Dial., Ice-shackles. 1855 Robinson Whitby Gloss., Ice Shoglins or Ickles. |
| fig. 1812 Let. 2 June in Daily News (1898) 22 Jan. 6/1, I hope you don't make yourself unhappy about her. She is really an icicle. 1822 Byron Werner ii. ii. 240 Must I turn an icicle? |
2. transf. A formation resembling an icicle;
esp. a. a stalactite.
| 1644 Digby Nat. Bodies xxv. (1645) 285 Allom falleth down in lumps, Saltpeter in long icicles. 1695 Woodward Nat. Hist. Earth (1702) 177 The Sparry Stiriæ, or Iceycles called Stalactitæ: the Native Saline Iceycles, or Sal Stalacticum. 1792 Massachusetts Mag. Nov., Some of these stony isicles have at length reached the bottom of the cave. |
b. A needle-shaped or acicular crystal.
| 1704 J. Harris Lex. Techn., Snow..is an infinite Mass of Icicles regularly figured. Ibid., The several Points of each Starry Icicle of Snow. Ibid., The Icicles of Urine. 1715 Pancirollus' Rerum Mem. II. vi. 300 Iuices are mostly concreted into Globules or Icicles. 1737 Bracken Farriery Impr. (1757) II. 242 The Icicles of Nitre, if I may so call them. |
c. In
Heraldry: see
quot.| 1830 Robson Brit. Herald Gloss., Icicles, depicted in shape as guttées, but reversed; some authors call them clubs. |
3. Comb., as
icicle-like adj.| 1849–52 Todd Cycl. Anat. IV. 1189/1 Descending..in icicle-like projections. |