ice bear
- noun
- /aɪs bɛr/
:
oso polar
- The documentary followed an ice bear as it hunted for seals on the frozen sea.
Examples
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Many ice bears are losing their habitat due to climate change.
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The ice bear is an excellent swimmer.
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Children learned about the challenges faced by the ice bear due to climate change.
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In the Arctic, the ice bear is a symbol of strength and resilience.
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Children learned about the challenges faced by the ice bear due to climate change.
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In the Arctic, the ice bear is a symbol of strength and resilience.
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The documentary followed an ice bear as it hunted for seals on the frozen sea.
Synonyms
957
1.0
A large heavy animal with thick fur and strong claws
37
1.1
A large white bear that lives in the Arctic and hunts seals on sea ice
A large white bear that lives in the Arctic and hunts on sea ice
A large white bear that lives in the Arctic and hunts on sea ice
Surface Forms
Morphology
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'.