floe; ice floe
Refers to a flat, floating sheet of sea ice. Used in contexts such as polar exploration, climate science, and nature documentaries.
Enormous ice floes are floating in the Arctic Ocean.
A seal is resting on an ice floe.
Compound of 氷 (こおり, ice) and 盤 (ばん, tray/board). The reading ひょう is the on'yomi of 氷. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word likely entered modern usage through scientific or descriptive writing about sea ice.