What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Ice vs Nice - What's the difference?

ice | nice |

As a noun ice

is .

As a proper noun nice is

a city in southeast france on the coast of the mediterranean sea, capital of the department of alpes-maritimes.

ice

English

Noun

(wikipedia ice)
  • (uncountable) Water in frozen (solid) form.
  • * 1882 , Popular Science Monthly Volume 20, The Freezing of a Salt Lake
  • It has always been difficult to explain how ice is formed on the surface of oceans while the temperature of maximum density is lower than that of cogelation, and the observations on this lake were instituted in the hope that they might throw light upon the subject.
  • * {{quote-magazine, title=The climate of Tibet: Pole-land
  • , date=2013-05-11, volume=407, issue=8835, page=80 , magazine=(The Economist) citation , passage=Of all the transitions brought about on the Earth’s surface by temperature change, the melting of ice into water is the starkest. It is binary. And for the land beneath, the air above and the life around, it changes everything.}}
  • (uncountable, physics, astronomy) Any frozen volatile chemical, such as ammonia or carbon dioxide.
  • (uncountable, astronomy) Any volatile chemical, such as water, ammonia, or carbon dioxide, not necessarily in solid form.
  • (countable) A frozen dessert made of fruit juice, water and sugar.
  • (uncountable) Any substance having the appearance of ice.
  • (uncountable, slang) One or more diamonds.
  • (uncountable, slang, drugs) Crystal form of methamphetamine.
  • (uncountable, ice hockey) The area where a game of ice hockey is played.
  • * 2006 , CBC, Finland, Sweden 'the dream final', February 26 2002,
  • The neighbouring countries have enjoyed many great battles on the ice . They last met for gold at the 1998 world championship, won by Sweden. Three years earlier, Finland bested Sweden for the only world title in its history.

    Derived terms

    * anchor ice * arena ice * black ice * brash ice * break the ice * choc ice * cold as ice * cut no ice * de-ice * dead ice * drift ice * dry ice * ice age * ice ax * ice axe * ice bag * ice barrier * ice bath * ice bear * ice blue * ice boat * ice breaker * ice bucket * ice cap / icecap * ice chest * ice cider * ice-cold * ice cream * ice cube * ice dam * ice dancing * ice diving * ice dwarf * icedrop * ice field * ice fish * ice fishing * ice floe * ice fog * ice foot * ice fractal * ice hockey * ice jam * ice kachang * ice lolly * ice luge * ice milk * ice needle * ice nucleus * ice-out * ice pack * ice palace * ice pellet * ice pick * ice plant * ice point * ice pop * ice queen * ice racing * ice resurfacer * ice rink * ice scour * ice scraper * ice sculpture * ice sheet * ice shelf * ice show * ice skate * ice skating * ice storm * ice water * ice wedge * ice wine * ice worm * ice yacht * ice yachting * iceball * iceberg * iceblink * iceblock * icebound * icefall * icehouse * iceless * icelike * icemaker * iceman * icemelt * icequake * icescape * iceteroid * icetray * iceward * iceways * icy * Italian ice * negative ice * on thin ice * pack ice * pancake ice * polar ice * sea ice * sell ice to Eskimos * slob ice * spin ice * stink on ice * water ice

    Verb

    (ic)
  • To cool with ice, as a beverage.
  • To become ice, to freeze.
  • (slang): To murder.
  • To cover with icing (frosting made of sugar and milk or white of egg); to frost; as cakes, tarts, etc.
  • (ice hockey) To put out a team for a match.
  • Milton Keynes have yet to ice a team this season
  • (ice hockey) To shoot the puck the length of the playing surface, causing a stoppage in play called icing.
  • If the Bruins ice the puck, the faceoff will be in their own zone.

    Derived terms

    * ice over * ice up

    Anagrams

    * * 1000 English basic words ----

    nice

    English

    Alternative forms

    * nyc (non-standard)

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) nice, nyce, nys, from (etyl) nice, niche, .

    Adjective

    (er)
  • (obsolete) Silly, ignorant; foolish.
  • *, II.2:
  • There is nothing he seemed to be more carefull of than of his honesty, and observe a kinde of decencie of his person, and orderly decorum in his habits, were it on foot or on horsebacke. He was exceeding nice in performing his word or promise.
  • * 1999 , Joyce Crick, translating (Sigmund Freud), (The Interpretation of Dreams) , Oxford 2008, p.83:
  • But if I dispense with the dreams of neurotics, my main material, I cannot be too nice in my dealings with the remainder.
  • (obsolete) Particular as regards rules or qualities; strict.
  • * 1818 , (Jane Austen), (Persuasion) :
  • Good company requires only birth, education and manners, and with regard to education is not very nice . Birth and good manners are essential.
  • Showing]] or [[require, requiring great precision or sensitive discernment; subtle.
  • * 1914 : (Saki), :
  • "It's her own funeral, you know," said Sir Lulworth; "it's a nice point in etiquette how far one ought to show respect to one's own mortal remains."
  • * 1974 , (Lawrence Durrell), Monsieur , Faber & Faber 1992, p.131:
  • It would be a nice theological point to try and establish whether Ophis os Moslem or gnostic.
  • * 2006 , (Clive James), North Face of Soho , Picador 2007, p.242:
  • Why it should have attained such longevity is a nice question.
  • (obsolete) Doubtful, as to the outcome; risky.
  • * 1598 , (William Shakespeare), , IV.1:
  • To set so rich a maine / On the nice hazard of one doubtfull houre? It were not good.
  • * 1822 , T. Creevey, Reminiscences , 28 Jul.:
  • It has been a damned nice thing - the nearest run thing you ever saw in your life.
  • Respectable; virtuous.
  • Pleasant, satisfactory.
  • * 1998 , (Baha Men) -
  • When the party was nice , the party was jumpin' (Hey, Yippie, Yi, Yo)
  • * 2008 , Rachel Cooke, The Guardian , 20 Apr.:
  • "What's difficult is when you think someone is saying something nice about you, but you're not quite sure."
  • Of a person: friendly, attractive.
  • With "and", having intensive effect: extremely.
  • * , chapter=8
  • , title= Mr. Pratt's Patients , passage=We toted in the wood and got the fire going nice and comfortable. Lord James still set in one of the chairs and Applegate had cabbaged the other and was hugging the stove.}}
    Quotations
    * 1710 , (Jonathan Swift), No. XIV *: I have strictly observed this rule, and my imagination this minute represents before me a certain great man famous for this talent, to the constant practice of which he owes his twenty years’ reputation of the most skilful head in England, for the management of nice affairs. * 1930 , , (The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case) *: Here's another nice mess you've gotten us into. * 1973 , Cockerel Chorus, Nice One, Cyril! *: Nice one, Cyril!
    Usage notes
    Sometimes used sarcastically to mean the opposite or to connote excess.
    Synonyms
    * charming, delightful, friendly, kind, lovely, pleasant, sweet * charming, delightful, lovely, pleasant * (having a pleasant taste or aroma) appetising/appetizing, delicious, moreish (informal), scrummy (slang), scrumptious (slang), tasty * (subtle) fine, subtle
    Antonyms
    * horrible, horrid, nasty * horrible, horrid, nasty * (having a pleasant taste or aroma) awful, disgusting, foul, horrible, horrid, nasty, nauseating, putrid, rancid, rank, sickening, distasteful, gross, unsatisfactory * naughty
    Derived terms
    * nice and + adjective * nice and easy * nice guy * nice guys finish last * nicely * niceness * nice round number * nicety * sugar and spice and everything nice

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • (colloquial) Nicely.
  • Children, play nice .
    He dresses real nice .

    Interjection

    (en-interj)!
  • Used to signify a job well done.
  • Nice! I couldn't have done better.
  • Used to signify approval.
  • Is that your new car? Nice!

    Etymology 2

    Name of a Unix program used to invoke a script or program with a specified priority, with the implication that running at a lower priority is "nice" (kind, etc.) because it leaves more resources for others.

    Verb

    (nic)
  • (transitive, computing, Unix) To run a process with a specified (usually lower) priority.
  • Derived terms
    * renice