ICE
Abbreviation with 6 meanings
| Stands for | U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 6 |
| Categories | Government & Politics, Science & Engineering, Transportation & Travel, Medical, Business & Finance, Writing & Everyday |
ICE has six meanings. The most common are U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (US federal agency) and Internal combustion engine (energy); it can also stand for InterCityExpress, Ideas, concerns, expectations, Intercontinental Exchange and In case of emergency.
Meanings of ICE at a glance
| # | ICE stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement | Government & Politics › US Federal Agency |
| 2 | Internal combustion engine | Science & Engineering › Energy |
| 3 | InterCityExpress | Transportation & Travel › Rail and Transit |
| 4 | Ideas, concerns, expectations | Medical › Medical Documentation |
| 5 | Intercontinental Exchange | Business & Finance › Stock Market & Investing |
| 6 | In case of emergency | Writing & Everyday › Everyday |
1. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Government & Politics · US Federal Agency Abbreviations
Enforces immigration law inside the United States and investigates cross-border crime for DHS. Its Enforcement and Removal Operations arm detains and deports noncitizens, while Homeland Security Investigations handles smuggling, trafficking and financial crimes.
Example: ICE said the detainee would be transferred to a processing center before his removal hearing.
ICE was created in March 2003 from the investigative and interior-enforcement functions of the former Immigration and Naturalization Service and US Customs Service. It is led by a Director and is pronounced as a word, "ice". Its interior work differs from that of CBP, which operates at the border and ports of entry.
2. Internal combustion engine
Science & Engineering · Energy Abbreviations · also used in transportation
Engine that burns fuel inside its cylinders or combustion chamber, using the expanding hot gases to drive pistons or a turbine. Gasoline and diesel ICEs have powered most cars, trucks, ships and generators for over a century; in EV discussions "ICE vehicle" means a conventional car.
Example: Maintenance costs for the EV were about half those of a comparable ICE car over five years.
Étienne Lenoir built a practical gas engine in 1860, Nicolaus Otto patented the four-stroke cycle in 1876, and Karl Benz built the first practical automobile around it in 1885-1886. Car engines turn only about 25-40% of fuel energy into motion. Several governments have set target dates to end sales of new ICE cars. ICE has unrelated meanings in immigration and emergency contacts.
3. InterCityExpress
Transportation & Travel · Rail and Transit Abbreviations
Germany's high-speed train service, operated by Deutsche Bahn at speeds up to 300 km/h (186 mph) on its fastest lines. ICE trains also serve Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris and other neighboring countries.
Example: The ICE from Frankfurt to Cologne takes just over an hour on the high-speed line.
Introduced in 1991. The 1998 Eschede disaster, caused by a failed wheel tire, killed 101 people and remains Germany's deadliest high-speed rail accident. Newer ICE 4 and ICE 3neo trains form the backbone of the fleet. Context separates it from ICE meaning internal combustion engine or US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
4. Ideas, concerns, expectations
Medical · Medical Documentation Abbreviations
Consultation framework in which the clinician asks what the patient thinks is wrong, what worries them and what they hope will happen. It is taught as a core skill in UK general practice training.
Example: ICE: thinks it's a migraine, worried about a brain tumor, hoping for a scan.
Part of patient-centered models such as the Calgary-Cambridge guide. Exploring ICE helps explain why a patient attended and reduces unmet expectations. In everyday English ICE means "in case of emergency", a contact saved in a mobile phone, which is unrelated.
5. Intercontinental Exchange
Business & Finance · Stock Market & Investing Abbreviations
US-based operator of exchanges and clearing houses, including the New York Stock Exchange and ICE Futures Europe, home of the Brent crude oil benchmark. It also runs mortgage-technology and financial data businesses.
Example: Brent futures on ICE rose 3 percent after the pipeline outage.
Founded in Atlanta in 2000 as an electronic energy-trading platform, it bought London's International Petroleum Exchange in 2001 and NYSE Euronext in 2013. An ICE subsidiary administered LIBOR until the benchmark's retirement. ICE is also the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, an unrelated meaning.
6. In case of emergency
Writing & Everyday · Everyday Abbreviations
Labels an emergency contact stored in a mobile phone so that paramedics or police know whom to call if the owner is hurt. Users save the contact under a name such as "ICE Mom."
Example: Paramedics checked his phone for an ICE contact and reached his sister within minutes.
The ICE campaign was started in 2005 by British paramedic Bob Brotchie and drew wide attention after the London bombings that July. Modern smartphones offer an emergency medical ID that is readable from the lock screen, which works better than a contact name because locked phones hide contacts. In the US, ICE also names Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Related abbreviations
More US federal agency abbreviations
- HRSA – Health Resources and Services Administration
- HSI – Homeland Security Investigations
- HUD – United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
- ICC – Interstate Commerce Commission
- IHS – Indian Health Service
- IRS – Internal Revenue Service
- LOC – Library of Congress
- MSHA – Mine Safety and Health Administration
See all 152 US federal agency abbreviations →
More energy abbreviations
- HHV – Higher heating value
- HVAC – High-voltage alternating current
- HVDC – High-voltage direct current
- HVO – Hydrotreated vegetable oil
- ISO – Independent system operator
- ITC – Investment tax credit
- LCOE – Levelized cost of energy
- LEU – Low-enriched uranium
See all 74 energy abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.