1. a building used for storing ice, especially before the invention of refrigeration
Usage: historical
2. a very cold place or building
Usage: informal

Examples

• The old icehouse behind the farmhouse was built in the 1800s.
• Workers would cut blocks of ice from the frozen pond and store them in the icehouse.
• The icehouse kept food fresh during the hot summer months.
• Turn up the heat – this room is like an icehouse!
• The abandoned icehouse still had thick stone walls to insulate against heat.
• Before electric refrigerators, every town had at least one icehouse.