Icebreaker

Definitions

1. A ship designed to break through ice so that it, or other ships coming behind, can navigate on frozen seas.
2. 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.
   figuratively
3. A lively song and dance routine at the start of a musical.

Equivalents

27 more languages

العربيةكاسحة الجليدكَسَّارَةْ جَلِيد

Azərbaycan dilibuzqıran

Bosanskiledolomacледоломац

Catalàtrencaglaç

Češtinaledoborec

Danskisbryder

Ελληνικάπαγοθραύστηςπαγοθραυστικό

Suomijäänmurtajajäänsärkijäkevennys

עבריתשׁוֹבֶרֶת קֶרַח

Hrvatskiledolomacледоломац

Magyarbemelegítés

Հայերենսառցահատ

Italianorompighiaccio

日本語砕氷船

한국어쇄빙선

Latviešuledlauzis

Nederlandsijsbreker

Polskilodołamacz

Portuguêsquebra-gelo

Românăspărgător de gheață

Русскийледокол

Slovenčinaľadoborec

Slovenščinaledolomilec

Српскиledolomacледоломац

Svenskaisbrytare

Türkçebuzkıran

Українськакриголам

Examples

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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⟳.”

“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.”

CEFR level