Icemen: meaning, definitions and examples
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icemen
[ ˈaɪsˌmæn ]
occupational role
Iceman refers to a person who harvested and sold ice before the invention of refrigeration. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, icemen were common in many cities, delivering blocks of ice to homes and businesses for cooling purposes. The occupation died out as refrigeration technology became widespread. Today, the term iceman can also refer to someone who works with ice in modern contexts, such as food and beverage services.
Synonyms
ice dealer, ice vendor.
Examples of usage
- The iceman arrived early in the morning with fresh blocks of ice.
- In the summer, the iceman was busy delivering ice to all the local shops.
- Before refrigerators, families relied on the iceman to keep their food from spoiling.
Translations
Translations of the word "icemen" in other languages:
🇵🇹 homens de gelo
🇮🇳 बर्फ के लोग
🇩🇪 Eismänner
🇮🇩 pria es
🇺🇦 льодові люди
🇵🇱 lodowi ludzie
🇯🇵 アイスマン
🇫🇷 hommes de glace
🇪🇸 hombres de hielo
🇹🇷 buz adamları
🇰🇷 얼음 사람들
🇸🇦 رجال الثلج
🇨🇿 muži ledu
🇸🇰 ľadoví muži
🇨🇳 冰人
🇸🇮 moški iz ledu
🇮🇸 ísmaður
🇰🇿 мұз адамдары
🇬🇪 ყინულის ადამიანები
🇦🇿 buz adamları
🇲🇽 hombres de hielo
Etymology
The word 'iceman' has its origins in the early 19th century, derived from the combination of 'ice' and 'man'. The term 'ice' itself comes from the Old English word 'īsce', which relates to frozen water. In the context of an iceman, the profession developed in response to the growing demand for ice as a means of food preservation and cooling in households before modern refrigeration existed. The iceman would typically deliver large blocks of ice harvested from frozen lakes or manufactured in ice plants. As technology advanced and everyday refrigeration became accessible to the general public in the 20th century, the need for icemen diminished significantly. The language adapted alongside societal changes, leading to a decline in the usage of the term, although it remains a historical reference to an important occupation of the past.