The answer is complex, but based on the common understanding of wetness, ice water can be wet, specifically the liquid water portion of it.
Here's a breakdown:
-
What does "wet" mean? Wetness generally refers to the state of a liquid adhering to a solid surface. It describes the sensation or property of a material being covered or saturated with a liquid, most commonly water.
-
Ice itself: Solid ice, in isolation, is not wet. It's a solid.
-
Liquid water: Liquid water is inherently wet because it's a liquid. It has the capacity to make other things wet.
-
Ice water (a mixture of ice and liquid water): In a glass of ice water, the liquid water is wet. The ice is surrounded by it, and if you touch the ice water, the liquid water adheres to your skin, creating the sensation of wetness.
Therefore, while the ice itself isn't wet, the liquid water in ice water is. The overall sensation and effect of ice water would typically be described as "wet" because of the presence of the liquid water component.
