ICEBREAKER • FREE TRANSLATOR.ORG • Definition of Icebreaker

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/ˈaɪsbrˌeɪkər/ Listen

noun

icebreaker n.

A ship with a reinforced bow and powerful engines designed to break up layers of ice on waterways and keep channels open for navigation.

Synonyms: iceboat.

A remark or action intended to relieve tension or reduce formality when initiating conversation or beginning a speech; it is often a humorous or light remark.

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Etymology of 'Icebreaker'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Icebreaker" Quotes from Famous Books

... Palmer, and offshore anchorages in Antarctica note: few ports or harbors exist on the southern side of the Southern Ocean; ice conditions limit use of most of them to short periods in midsummer; even then some cannot be entered without icebreaker escort; most antarctic ports are operated by government research stations and, except in an emergency, are not open to commercial or private vessels; vessels in any port south of 60 degrees south are subject to inspection by Antarctic ...

— The 2000 CIA World Factbook • United States. Central Intelligence Agency.

... McMurdo, Palmer, and offshore anchorages in Antarctica note: few ports or harbors exist on the southern side of the Southern Ocean; ice conditions limit use of most of them to short periods in midsummer; even then some cannot be entered without icebreaker escort; most antarctic ports are operated by government research stations and, except in an emergency, are not open to commercial or private vessels; vessels in any port south of 60 degrees south are subject to inspection ...

— The 2003 CIA World Factbook • United States. Central Intelligence Agency