1. buildings used for storing ice, especially before refrigeration was common
Usage: historical

Examples

• The old icehouses were built partially underground to keep the ice from melting.
• Before electric refrigerators, wealthy families had icehouses on their estates.
• Workers would cut ice from frozen ponds and store it in icehouses for summer use.
• The thick stone walls of the icehouses provided excellent insulation.
• Many historic icehouses can still be seen at museums and preserved estates.
• Ice was packed in sawdust inside the icehouses to prevent melting.