icebreaker

American  

[ahys-brey-ker] / ˈaɪsˌbreɪ kər /

noun

1. Nautical. a ship specially built for breaking navigable passages through ice.

2. an opening remark, action, etc., designed to ease tension or relieve formality.

   A mild joke can be a good icebreaker.

3. a tool or machine for chopping ice into small pieces.

---

icebreaker British  

/ ˈaɪsˌbreɪkə /

noun

1. Also called: iceboat.  a vessel with a reinforced bow for breaking up the ice in bodies of water to keep channels open for navigation

2. any tool or device for breaking ice into smaller pieces

3. something intended to relieve mutual shyness at a gathering of strangers

---

Etymology

Origin of icebreaker

An Americanism dating back to 1810–20; ice + breaker ¹

Example Sentences

Trains and flights were also experiencing delays, while authorities reported drift ice on the Danube and the Tisza rivers, where icebreakers have been put on alert.

From Barron's

After years of development, China launched its first domestically built icebreaker in 2019 with Finnish help.

From The Wall Street Journal

And enduring the icebreaker incident on “The Bachelor” with my daughters was certainly a long way from having tea parties with their American Girl dolls when they were little.

From The Wall Street Journal

Should we get stuck in ice, the nearest icebreaker was a week away.

From The Wall Street Journal

Earlier this year, his administration said it plans to stop leasing the only American icebreaker dedicated to Antarctic research and reportedly paused developing a new vessel to succeed it.

From Barron's