Dictionary

icebreaker en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈaɪsˌbɹeɪkəɹ/ (US)

Etymology

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

Meanings

1. A ship designed to break through ice so that it, or other ships coming behind, can navigate on frozen seas.
   • The Australian Antarctic Division’s chartered icebreaker the Aurora Australis on a previous mission wedged in ice in Commonwealth Bay 10 nautical miles from Mawson’s Hut in Antarctica. 2016 February 25, Paul Karp, “Aurora Australis icebreaker runs aground during blizzard in Antarctica”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 14 Aug 2022:
   • The steel hulls of ice-breakers are much thicker than those of standard vessels.
   • My father's Bonneville was cutting its way toward us like an icebreaker moving through my whole state of consciousness. 2004, Martin Torgoff, “Fearless, Immune, and Ready for All”, in Can’t Find My Way Home: America in the Great Stoned Age, 1945–2000, New York, N.Y.: Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, page 11:
2. (figuratively) A game, activity, humorous anecdote, etc., designed to ease tension and encourage interaction among individuals in a situation where they do not know each other well.
   • The key purpose of an icebreaker is to introduce your group members to each other and to introduce your training session topic. A well-planned icebreaker ensures that a training session will start with more involvement and focus. 2011, Elaine Biech, chapter 11, in The Book of Road-Tested Activities, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN:
   • The new college hallmates were awkward with each other at first, but after a game of charades as an icebreaker, they were laughing like old friends.
3. A lively song and dance routine at the start of a musical.
   • At the moment the curtain went up there had to be a lively ensemble number of principals and chorus singing and dancing, the traditional “icebreaker” that also covered up the noise of late-arriving ticket holders getting to their seats. 2014, Maggie Davis, Stage Door Canteen:

Forms

Coordinates

slushbreaker

Deriveds

medium icebreaker · light icebreaker · oblique icebreaker · heavy icebreaker

Relateds

social lubricant · passagemaker · break the ice

Translations (60)

be ледако́л (ship designed to break through ice) · pl lodołamacz (ship designed to break through ice) · lt ledlaužis (ship designed to break through ice) · mk мразокр́шач (ship designed to break through ice) · es rompehielos (ship designed to break through ice) · ro spărgător de gheață (ship designed to break through ice) · vi tàu phá băng (ship designed to break through ice) · fi jäänmurtaja (ship designed to break through ice) · ms kapal pemecah air batu (ship designed to break through ice) · nb isbryter (ship designed to break through ice) · sv isbrytare (game, anecdote, or other activity to help introduce people) · lb Äisbriecher (ship designed to break through ice) · el παγοθραυστικό (ship designed to break through ice) · ar كَسَّارَةْ جَلِيد (ship designed to break through ice) · hy սառցահատ (ship designed to break through ice) · ca trencaglaç (ship designed to break through ice) · ru ледоко́л (ship designed to break through ice) · gl crebaxeos (ship designed to break through ice) · he שוברת קרח (ship designed to break through ice) · eo glacirompilo (ship designed to break through ice) · da isbryder (ship designed to break through ice) · et jäälõhkuja (ship designed to break through ice) · it rompighiaccio (ship designed to break through ice) · bg ледоразбивач (ship designed to break through ice) · hu jégtörő (game, anecdote, or other activity to help introduce people) · hu bemelegítés (game, anecdote, or other activity to help introduce people) · th เรือตัดน้ำแข็ง (ship designed to break through ice) · eo interkono (game, anecdote, or other activity to help introduce people) · de Eisbrecher (ship designed to break through ice) · hu ráhangolódás (game, anecdote, or other activity to help introduce people) · hu jégtörő hajó (ship designed to break through ice) · nl ijsbreker (game, anecdote, or other activity to help introduce people) · cs ledoborec (ship designed to break through ice) · sl ledolomilec (ship designed to break through ice) · th กิจกรรมละลายพฤติกรรม (game, anecdote, or other activity to help introduce people) · izh jermakka (ship designed to break through ice) · fr brise-glace (ship designed to break through ice) · hu feloldódás (game, anecdote, or other activity to help introduce people) · fi kevennys (game, anecdote, or other activity to help introduce people) · ko 쇄빙선 (ship designed to break through ice) · ja 砕氷船 (ship designed to break through ice) · hu ráhangoló (game, anecdote, or other activity to help introduce people) · pt quebra-gelo (ship designed to break through ice) · hu bemelegítő (game, anecdote, or other activity to help introduce people) · lv ledlauzis (ship designed to break through ice) · es tema para romper el hielo (game, anecdote, or other activity to help introduce people) · az buzqıran (ship designed to break through ice) · tr buzkıran (ship designed to break through ice) · sh ledolomac (ship designed to break through ice) · el παγοθραυστικό πλοίο (ship designed to break through ice) · cmn 破冰船 (ship designed to break through ice) · uk кригола́м (ship designed to break through ice) · sv isbrytare (ship designed to break through ice) · sk ľadoborec (ship designed to break through ice) · el παγοθραύστης (ship designed to break through ice) · sh ледоломац (ship designed to break through ice) · de Kennenlernspiel (game, anecdote, or other activity to help introduce people) · hu jégtörő (ship designed to break through ice) · pl rzecz rozluźniająca atmosferę (game, anecdote, or other activity to help introduce people) · nl ijsbreker (ship designed to break through ice)

wikidata: Q14978