ðɪs tˈaɪp ʌv kˈeɪv wʌz fˈɜːst fˈɔːɹməli dᵻskɹˈaɪbd baɪ ˈɪŋɡlɪʃmən ˈɛdwɪn swˈɪft bˈæltʃ ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd, hˌuː sədʒˈɛstᵻd ðə fɹˈɛntʃ tˈɜːm ɡlˌeɪsiˈɛɹz ʃˌʊd biː jˈuːzd fɔːɹ ðˌɛm, ˈiːvən ðˌoʊ ðə tˈɜːm ˈaɪs kˈeɪv wʌz ðˈɛn, æz nˈaʊ, kˈɑːmənli jˈuːzd tə ɹᵻfˈɜː tə kˈeɪvz sˈɪmpli kəntˈeɪnɪŋ jˈɪɹˈaʊnd ˈaɪs.
This type of cave was first formally described by Englishman Edwin Swift Balch in 1900, who suggested the French term glacieres should be used for them, even though the term ice cave was then, as now, commonly used to refer to caves simply containing year-round ice.