Phrase guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
No pronunciation record was provided for this word.
noun
An unusual item, such as a painting, or a tabletop knick-knack which encourages comment from visitors, and so helps to break the ice.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A painting of a group of people engaged in conversation or some other activity, popular in the 18th century.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: painting
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
something interesting that stimulates conversation
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: center, centre, center of attention, centre of attention
History
No etymology was provided for this word.
Across languages
1 source translations are retained for this English entry.
