ice bear

2.3

A large white bear that lives in the Arctic and hunts seals

noun
/aɪs bɛr/

: oso polar

The documentary followed an ice bear as it hunted for seals on the frozen sea.

Examples

Many ice bears are losing their habitat due to climate change.
The ice bear is an excellent swimmer.
Children learned about the challenges faced by the ice bear due to climate change.
In the Arctic, the ice bear is a symbol of strength and resilience.
Children learned about the challenges faced by the ice bear due to climate change.
In the Arctic, the ice bear is a symbol of strength and resilience.
The documentary followed an ice bear as it hunted for seals on the frozen sea.

Synonyms

bear

vsice bear

957 1.0

A large heavy animal with thick fur and strong claws

is a specific Arctic white species rather than the general mammal group

polar bear

vsice bear

37 1.1

A large white bear that lives in the Arctic and hunts seals on sea ice

is an alternative common name referring to that same Arctic species

Ursus maritimus

vsice bear

Specialized

7.7

A large white bear that lives in the Arctic and hunts on sea ice

is an alternative common name rather than the scientific label

Thalarctos maritimus

vsice bear

Archaic

9.9

A large white bear that lives in the Arctic and hunts on sea ice

is the common alternative name, not the scientific term

Surface Forms

ice bear singular

ice bears plural

Morphology

ice + bear

The meaning 'polar bear' is directly inferable from combining 'ice' (frozen sea/Arctic conditions) with 'bear' (the animal): it literally denotes a bear associated with icy regions. This is a transparent compound and similar compositional formations exist cross-linguistically (e.g., German Eisbär), so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily understand the intended meaning.

Etymology

Ice bear may come from people in the Arctic and early explorers who saw a big bear living on ice with white fur. The clear picture of a bear on the ice led to the name, so today ice bear means 'polar bear'.