on ice

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on ice

/ɒn ˈaɪs/ UK
/ɑn ˈaɪs/ US

Rhymes with -aɪs

Where it comes from

The first sense (“not being used; temporarily unavailable or suspended”) probably refers to the practice of putting food on ice to preserve it.

phrase

idiomatic Not being used; temporarily unavailable or suspended; on hold. We're putting the new software features on ice until we can fix the existing bugs.
idiomatic, slang, of a person Dead, especially from murder or other nefarious means. Boss says there's a mole in our organization. Find him and put him on ice.
Of an entertainment normally performed on a stage: performed by ice skaters as an ice show. We went to see Cinderella on ice.
Of a sporting or other contest: in a state of assured victory for the leading contestant. Near-synonym: in the bag
Similar: in the bag
Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see on, ice. Going to the wine cellar, she said: "I will put three bottles of Tokay wine on ice.[…]"

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MLA

"on ice." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/on%20ice. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

on ice. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/on%20ice

Chicago

"on ice." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/on%20ice.

BibTeX

@misc{on_ice_2026,
  title = {on ice},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/on%20ice},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}