glacis

/ˈɡleɪsɪs/

//ˈɡleɪsɪs// noun

"glacis" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“glacis” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A gentle incline.

Corpus desk

Index EN-glacis · glacis · English

glacis · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "G" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for glacis
PropertyValue
Headwordglacis
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɡleɪsɪs/
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “glacis” in English

glacisranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

glacis is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɡleɪsɪs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for glacis in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French glacis (“slippery surface”), derived from Old French glacier (“to glide; freeze”), the former from Latin glaciāre (“to freeze”), from glaciēs (“ice”), of uncertain origin. Cognates * Medieval Latin glatia (“incline in front of a fortifi… The correct English form is glacis, spelled G-L-A-C-I-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    A gentle incline.
  2. 2
    A gentle incline.
  3. 3
    A gentle incline.
  4. 4
    A gentle incline.
  5. 5
    A gentle incline.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how glacis appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The foam of these great ruins mounts in an instant to the ridge of the sand glacis, swiftly fleets back again, and is met and buried by the next breaker.
  2. [T]ook his place with solemn / Air 'midst the rest, who kept their valiant faces / And levelled weapons still against the glacis.

Etymology

Borrowed from French glacis (“slippery surface”), derived from Old French glacier (“to glide; freeze”), the former from Latin glaciāre (“to freeze”), from glaciēs (“ice”), of uncertain origin. Cognates * Medieval Latin glatia (“incline in front of a fortification”)

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "glacis"?
"glacis" is spelled G-L-A-C-I-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɡleɪsɪs/.
What does "glacis" mean?
As a noun, "glacis" means: A gentle incline.
How do you pronounce "glacis"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "glacis" is /ˈɡleɪsɪs/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "glacis"?
Borrowed from French glacis (“slippery surface”), derived from Old French glacier (“to glide; freeze”), the former from Latin glaciāre (“to freeze”), from glaciēs (“ice”), of uncertain origin. Cognates * Medieval Latin glatia (“incline in front of... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list