noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
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
Pronunciation
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.
US:/ˈaɪsˌbɹeɪkəɹ/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:AY1 S B R EY2 K ER0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A ship designed to break through ice so that it, or other ships coming behind, can navigate on frozen seas.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: nautical, transport
Examples
The steel hulls of ice-breakers are much thicker than those of standard vessels.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A game, activity, humorous anecdote, etc., designed to ease tension and encourage interaction among individuals in a situation where they do not know each other well.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
Examples
The new college hallmates were awkward with each other at first, but after a game of charades as an icebreaker, they were laughing like old friends.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A lively song and dance routine at the start of a musical.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, theater
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
a beginning that relaxes a tense or formal atmosphere
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
he told jokes as an icebreaker
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: beginning, start, commencement
5
noun
Meaning 5
a ship with a reinforced bow to break up ice and keep channels open for navigation
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: iceboat
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: ship
History
Etymology
From ice + breaker, in the figurative sense from the expression to break the ice.
Across languages
Translations
60 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
كَسَّارَةْ جَلِيد
(kassārat jalīd)
— ship designed to break through ice
Armenian:
սառցահատ
(saṙcʻahat)
— ship designed to break through ice
Azerbaijani:
buzqıran
— ship designed to break through ice
Belarusian:
ледако́л
(ljedakól)
— ship designed to break through ice
Bulgarian:
ледоразбивач
(ledorazbivač)
— ship designed to break through ice
Catalan:
trencaglaç
— ship designed to break through ice
Chinese Mandarin:
破冰船
(pòbīngchuán)
— ship designed to break through ice
Czech:
ledoborec
— ship designed to break through ice
Danish:
isbryder
— ship designed to break through ice
Dutch:
ijsbreker
— ship designed to break through ice
Esperanto:
glacirompilo
— ship designed to break through ice
Estonian:
jäälõhkuja
— ship designed to break through ice
Finnish:
jäänmurtaja
— ship designed to break through ice
French:
brise-glace
— ship designed to break through ice
Galician:
crebaxeos
— ship designed to break through ice
German:
Eisbrecher
— ship designed to break through ice
Greek:
παγοθραύστης
(pagothráfstis)
— ship designed to break through ice
Greek:
παγοθραυστικό
(pagothrafstikó)
— ship designed to break through ice
Greek:
παγοθραυστικό πλοίο
(pagothrafstikó ploío)
— ship designed to break through ice
Hebrew:
שוברת קרח
— ship designed to break through ice
Hungarian:
jégtörő
— ship designed to break through ice
Hungarian:
jégtörő hajó
— ship designed to break through ice
Ingrian:
jermakka
— ship designed to break through ice
Italian:
rompighiaccio
— ship designed to break through ice
Japanese:
砕氷船
(saihyōsen)
— ship designed to break through ice
Korean:
쇄빙선
(swaebingseon)
— ship designed to break through ice
Latvian:
ledlauzis
— ship designed to break through ice
Lithuanian:
ledlaužis
— ship designed to break through ice
Luxembourgish:
Äisbriecher
— ship designed to break through ice
Macedonian:
мразокр́шач
(mrazokŕšač)
— ship designed to break through ice
Malay:
kapal pemecah air batu
— ship designed to break through ice
Norwegian Bokmål:
isbryter
— ship designed to break through ice
Polish:
lodołamacz
— ship designed to break through ice
Portuguese:
quebra-gelo
— ship designed to break through ice
Romanian:
spărgător de gheață
— ship designed to break through ice
Russian:
ледоко́л
(ledokól)
— ship designed to break through ice
Serbo-Croatian:
ледоломац
— ship designed to break through ice
Serbo-Croatian:
ledolomac
— ship designed to break through ice
Slovak:
ľadoborec
— ship designed to break through ice
Slovene:
ledolomilec
— ship designed to break through ice
Spanish:
rompehielos
— ship designed to break through ice
Swedish:
isbrytare
— ship designed to break through ice
Thai:
เรือตัดน้ําแข็ง
— ship designed to break through ice
Turkish:
buzkıran
— ship designed to break through ice
Ukrainian:
кригола́м
(kryholám)
— ship designed to break through ice
Vietnamese:
tàu phá băng
— ship designed to break through ice
Dutch:
ijsbreker
— game, anecdote, or other activity to help introduce people
Esperanto:
interkono
— game, anecdote, or other activity to help introduce people
Finnish:
kevennys
— game, anecdote, or other activity to help introduce people
German:
Kennenlernspiel
— game, anecdote, or other activity to help introduce people
Hungarian:
jégtörő
— game, anecdote, or other activity to help introduce people
Hungarian:
bemelegítő
— game, anecdote, or other activity to help introduce people
Hungarian:
bemelegítés
— game, anecdote, or other activity to help introduce people
Hungarian:
ráhangoló
— game, anecdote, or other activity to help introduce people
Hungarian:
ráhangolódás
— game, anecdote, or other activity to help introduce people
Hungarian:
feloldódás
— game, anecdote, or other activity to help introduce people
Polish:
rzecz rozluźniająca atmosferę
— game, anecdote, or other activity to help introduce people
Spanish:
tema para romper el hielo
— game, anecdote, or other activity to help introduce people
Swedish:
isbrytare
— game, anecdote, or other activity to help introduce people
Thai:
กิจกรรมละลายพฤติกรรม
— game, anecdote, or other activity to help introduce people
