Link Centre Dictionary

icebreaker

iceb·rea·ker

US/ˈaɪsˌbɹeɪkəɹ/ rare

noun

1.

a ship with a reinforced bow to break up ice and keep channels open for navigation

Synonyms
2.

a beginning that relaxes a tense or formal atmosphere

  • “he told jokes as an icebreaker”

Origin

From ice + breaker, in the figurative sense from the expression to break the ice.

Phrases

  • break the ice
  • heavy icebreaker
  • light icebreaker
  • medium icebreaker
  • oblique icebreaker
  • social lubricant

Related words

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.