(a) (in folklore, fairy tales, etc.) a female spirit or supernatural being associated with ice and snowy landscapes; (b) colloquial (chiefly derog…

figurative (frequently derogatory) A cold-hearted and emotionless woman; (in later use) spec. a woman (esp. a beautiful or alluring one) who is…

the chief character in a fairy-tale of this name by Hans Christian Andersen, used allusively to designate a cold-hearted woman; also attributive.