Meaning & use
ice skater
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A person who skates on ice, especially as a sport or hobby.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'an ice skater' or 'two ice skaters'.
Patterns
- be an ice skater
- a professional ice skater
My cousin is a talented ice skater and practices every morning.
The ice skater spun gracefully on the frozen pond.
Many ice skaters dream of competing in the Winter Olympics.
Word forms
| plural | ice skaters |
|---|
Common combinations
- professional ice skater
- She became a professional ice skater after years of training.
- figure ice skater
- The figure ice skater performed a perfect jump.
- speed ice skater
- The speed ice skater raced around the oval track.
- young ice skater
- The young ice skater held her mother's hand on the ice.
- ice skater's routine
- The ice skater's routine included a difficult spin.
Synonyms and how they differ
- skater
- A general word for anyone who skates, on ice or on wheels; 'ice skater' makes the surface clear.
- figure skater
- A type of ice skater who performs jumps and spins in competitions; not all ice skaters do figures.
- speed skater
- An ice skater who races for speed rather than performing artistic moves.
Word family
- ice-skate verb
- To move on ice wearing skates.
- ice skating noun
- The activity or sport of skating on ice.
- ice skate noun
- A boot with a blade attached, used for skating on ice.
Commonly confused: ice skater or skater? ice skater or skier?
ice skater vs skater
Can refer to ice skating, roller skating, or skateboarding; 'ice skater' is only for skating on ice.
ice skater vs skier
A person who skis on snow, not on ice; the sports are different.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
Ice skaters skate on ice, often on a frozen lake or rink, so option A fits. Option B describes a skier, option C a skateboarder, and option D a swimmer.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ice skater”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.