iceberg
a large floating mass of ice, detached from a glacier and carried out to sea.
Informal. an emotionally cold person.
Australian Informal. a person who swims or surfs regularly in winter.
Idioms about iceberg
tip of the iceberg, the first hint or revelation of something larger or more complex: The new evidence in the case is just the tip of the iceberg.
Origin of iceberg
1Words Nearby iceberg
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use iceberg in a sentence
Researchers tend to catch the severest cases — the tip of the iceberg — and that doesn’t necessarily give you a full picture of what’s going on.
How coronavirus variants may drive reinfection and shape vaccination efforts | Erin Garcia de Jesus | February 5, 2021 | Science NewsLooking at the number of reported cases is the next best option, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg.
The Hard Lessons of Modeling the Coronavirus Pandemic | Jordana Cepelewicz | January 28, 2021 | Quanta MagazineWhen it comes to the question of whether to have a baby, affordable, high-quality child care is just the tip of the iceberg.
This country is a risky place to be a parent, and the pandemic reminded me of that | Haley Swenson | January 14, 2021 | Washington PostOur right to live in a healthy environment will be threatened, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
The Paris climate pact is 5 years old. 5 youth activists share their hopes for what’s next. | Jariel Arvin | December 11, 2020 | VoxThe world’s biggest iceberg, the size of Delaware and Rhode Island, is breaking up and drifting out the Southern Ocean.
Eighty years of memories that will stir readers’ own | Connie Schultz | November 20, 2020 | Washington Post
In Russia, Uganda, and elsewhere around the world, legal change is the tip of the iceberg.
The recent botched executions are just the tip of the iceberg.
The logic here was a little unsound—if I remember the S.S. Titanic story, “iceberg” would have been the right name.
Confusion over the catcher's eye black is just the tip of the iceberg for this befuddled limey.
Viral Video of the Day: Bad British MLB Commentary | Alex Chancey, Ben Teitelbaum | May 7, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAs far as cash-grabs go, the VIP pass is only the tip of the iceberg.
Coachella, Oasis For Douchebags and Trust Fund Babies, Should Be Avoided At All Costs | Marlow Stern | April 12, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTDuring these fourteen days we saw very few whales or albatrosses, and not one iceberg.
A Woman's Journey Round the World | Ida PfeifferShe was an iceberg,—a beautiful kill-joy,—a wet blanket of charming texture.
Greatly agitated, she approached her instructor, when Mr. Read walked in;—a cynical iceberg!
Alone | Marion HarlandAn iceberg may be defined as a detached portion of a polar glacier carried out to sea.
Loss of the Steamship 'Titanic' | British Government“The fishermen of my country can feel the chill of an iceberg through the fog and the night,” she said at last.
The Flockmaster of Poison Creek | George W. Ogden
British Dictionary definitions for iceberg
/ (ˈaɪsbɜːɡ) /
a large mass of ice floating in the sea, esp a mass that has broken off a polar glacier
tip of the iceberg the small visible part of something, esp a problem or difficulty, that is much larger
slang, mainly US a person considered to have a cold or reserved manner
Origin of iceberg
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for iceberg
[ īs′bûrg′ ]
A massive body of floating ice that has broken away from a glacier or ice field. Most of an iceberg lies underwater, but because ice is not as dense as water, about one ninth of it remains above the surface.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for iceberg
A large piece of ice that has broken away from a glacier at the shore and floated out to sea.
Notes for iceberg
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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