icebreaker
icebreaker Lexical Profile
icebreaker Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A remark, activity, or game designed to relieve tension, reduce awkwardness, and facilitate social interaction among people who do not know each other well.
"The facilitator started the corporate workshop with a quick icebreaker to help the team members relax and learn each other's names."
A robust, specially designed ship with a reinforced hull intended to navigate through ice-covered waters and clear a navigable passage for other vessels.
"The scientific expedition relied on a heavy nuclear icebreaker to reach the remote Arctic research station."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
A compound of 'ice' and 'breaker', first recorded in the mid-19th century to describe ships designed to clear navigable paths through frozen waters. The figurative sense of relieving social tension emerged later in the 19th century.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.