iceberg
[ ahys-burg ]
/ ˈaɪs bɜrg /
noun
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.
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decorum
Idioms for 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
1765–75; half Anglicization, half adoption of Dutch ijsberg ice mountain; cognate with German Eisberg, Swedish isberg
Words nearby iceberg
ice-out, ice-scoured, ice-skate, ice-up, ice., iceberg, iceberg lettuce, iceblink, iceboat, iceboater, icebound
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for iceberg
British Dictionary definitions for iceberg
iceberg
/ (ˈaɪsbɜːɡ) /
noun
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
Word Origin for iceberg
C18: probably part translation of Middle Dutch ijsberg ice mountain; compare Norwegian isberg
Collins 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
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
iceberg
A large piece of ice that has broken away from a glacier at the shore and floated out to sea.
notes for iceberg
Most of the ice in an iceberg is underwater, leaving only the “tip of the iceberg” visible — a fact that is often alluded to in discussions of subjects in which the most important aspects are hidden from view.
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.