in physiology, a solid, transparent, and brittle body, formed of some fluid, particularly water, by means of cold. See FROST and FREEZING.

The younger Lemery observes, that ice is only a re-establishment of the parts of water in their natural state; that the mere absence of fire is sufficient to account for this re-establishment; and that the fluidity of water is a real fusion, like that of metals exposed to the fire; differing only in this, that a greater quantity of fire is necessary to the one than the other. Galileo was the first that observed ice to be lighter than the water which composed it: and hence it happens, that ice floats upon water, its specific gravity being to that of water as eight to nine. This rarefaction of ice is owing to the air-bubbles produced in the water by freezing; and being considerably large in proportion to the water frozen, render the body so much specifically lighter; and these air-bubbles growing large, acquire a great expansive power, so as to burst the containing vessels, though ever so strong.