icebreaker
noun
ice·break·er
| \ ˈīs-ˌbrā-kər
\
\
Definition of icebreaker
1
: a ship equipped (as with a reinforced bow) to make and maintain a channel through ice
2
: something that is done or said to get through the first difficulties in starting a conversation or discussion
Roughly half of all Americans are invested in the market these days, and stock holdings have replaced politics, weather and sports as the go-to conversational icebreaker.— Adam Bryant … she also pays particular attention to icebreakers that relax guests and get them rubbing elbows, such as a cruise up the Colorado River, where guests nibble on hors d'oeuvres and sip Fall Creek wines.— Steve Heimoff
— see also break the ice at break entry 1
Examples of icebreaker in a Sentence
using an old joke as a conversational icebreaker
Recent Examples on the Web
It is equipped with two pressurized water reactors — a version of naval reactors used by Russia's atomic icebreakers, Dmitry Alekseyenko, the deputy head of floating nuclear power plant construction and operation, told NBC News. — NBC News, "Russia's 'floating Chernobyl' nuclear plant begins voyage north," 23 Aug. 2019 Coast Guard commanders and their allies in Congress say the U.S. will need more icebreakers as climate change reshapes the polar regions. — Los Angeles Times, "Newsletter: The madness of mass shootings," 5 Aug. 2019 Oceanographer Anna Wåhlin paced across the bridge of the Nathaniel B. Palmer icebreaker like a nervous parent waiting for a teenager out past curfew. — Adam Rogers, WIRED, "A Submarine Goes Under a Failing Glacier to Gauge Rising Seas," 6 Aug. 2019 Operation Damage Control Every year, the icebreaker Polar Star slogs 11,500 miles from Seattle to Antarctica to reach scientific bases. — Los Angeles Times, "Newsletter: The madness of mass shootings," 5 Aug. 2019 The technology, which is installed on four icebreakers so far, sweeps the sea floor, updating charts as the ships go about their business. — Zoë Schlanger, Quartz, "Climate change is luring cruise ships to sail risky Arctic passages," 1 Aug. 2019 In 2017, the first Chinese icebreaker sailed through the Northwest Passage on a scientific survey. — Neil Shea, National Geographic, "Scenes from the new Cold War unfolding at the top of the world," 8 May 2019 Home base will be a massive German icebreaker, though the ship will spend only a few weeks under its own power. — Anchorage Daily News, "For the biggest Arctic expedition ever, scientists will trap themselves in sea ice," 13 June 2019 This is the only heavy icebreaker the United States has. — Hal Bernton, The Seattle Times, "Seattle will be home port for new class of icebreakers," 17 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'icebreaker.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for icebreaker
icebreaker
noun
English Language Learners Definition of icebreaker
: a ship designed to clear a passage through ice
: something done or said to help people to relax and begin talking at a meeting, party, etc.
See the full definition for icebreaker in the English Language Learners Dictionary
icebreaker
noun
ice·break·er
| \ ˈīs-ˌbrā-kər
\
\
Kids Definition of icebreaker
1
: a ship equipped to make and keep open a channel through ice
2
: something said or done that helps people relax and begin talking in a social situation
The party game was a good icebreaker.
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