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Glite Dictionary
🐄 Cows giving birth 🧊 Ice breaking off
calving

calving

1 7.4
A glacier or ice shelf breaking off large pieces of ice into the sea
  • noun
  • /ˈkæl.vɪŋ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : desprendimiento
  • The 2010 Petermann Glacier calving event also indicates the crack that broke off this morning.
  • calving of a glacier

Examples

  • Scientists observe that increased calving can indicate significant changes in climate conditions.

  • The scientists also looked for evidence of calving.

    Academic text (2012)

  • One or two questions later, he is blaming the alleged increased temperature for the loss of ice and ice calving.

    Blog text (31)

  • Antarctic ice calving is a sure sign of coming catastrophe.

    Blog text (20)

  • If your slides are becoming more exciting—showing the calving of a glacier or canoeing alongside orcas whales—increase your vocal intensity.

    Academic text (1996)

  • The process of calving can result in massive icebergs breaking off from the glacier.

  • Many spectacular ice formations can be seen during calving events along the coastline.

Surface Forms

calving singular
calvings plural

Morphology

calving = calve (semi-transparent) = calve + ing

Structurally calve + -ing applies, but the glacier sense is a metaphorical extension of the animal-birthing sense and may not be fully obvious to learners.

Etymology

Calving for ice uses the same idea: the verb calve comes from calf and means 'to give birth', and a helpful way to remember it is to imagine a glacier 'giving birth' when a large piece breaks off into the sea.