iceberg

noun

ice·​berg ˈīs-ˌbərg 

1

: a large floating mass of ice detached from a glacier

2

: an emotionally cold person

3

: iceberg lettuce

Synonyms

• clam
• icicle
• stick

Examples of iceberg in a Sentence

a brilliant doctor, no doubt, but both patients and staff complain that he is an iceberg

Recent Examples on the Web

Best picks are crisp and luscious Romaine leaves, robust kale that stands up to behemoth burgers, red-leafed radicchio with a nice bitter kick, sweet and delicate butter lettuce, classic iceberg, or roasted nori seaweed sheets. —Catharine Kaufman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 July 2025

Same goes for the lettuce: Romaine, green leaf, or even iceberg would be great, too. —Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 19 July 2025

Those posts are the tip of an iceberg, underlining the true scale of the problem. —Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 17 June 2025

Additionally, beneath the iceberg of awareness, our brains are keeping track of the mosaic of physical variables — body temperature, blood glucose level, heart rate, respiration, and so on — that must remain stable, in a state known as homeostasis, to keep us alive. —Conor Feehly, Quanta Magazine, 4 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

probably partial translation of Danish or Norwegian isberg, from is ice + berg mountain

First Known Use

1784, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing iceberg

• iceberg lettuce
• the tip of the iceberg
• tip of the iceberg

Kids Definition

iceberg

noun

ice·​berg ˈīs-ˌbərg 

: a large floating mass of ice detached from a glacier