icebreaker

noun

ice·​break·​er ˈīs-ˌbrā-kər 

1

: a ship equipped (as with a reinforced bow) to make and maintain a channel through ice

2

: something that is done or said to get through the first difficulties in starting a conversation or discussion

Roughly half of all Americans are invested in the market these days, and stock holdings have replaced politics, weather and sports as the go-to conversational icebreaker.

—Adam Bryant

… she also pays particular attention to icebreakers that relax guests and get them rubbing elbows, such as a cruise up the Colorado River, where guests nibble on hors d'oeuvres and sip Fall Creek wines.

—Steve Heimoff

see also break the ice

Examples of icebreaker in a Sentence

using an old joke as a conversational icebreaker

Recent Examples on the Web

The internal physics of the Shelf-M rely on a channel-type core architecture derived from operational parameters used in maritime nuclear icebreakers. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 19 July 2026

Learning to respect others’ food choices Ultimately, food is a great icebreaker and a way to explore other cultures and backgrounds. — Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 15 July 2026

Shipyards that once built trawlers today deliver some of the world's most sophisticated offshore support vessels, research ships, expedition cruise vessels, cable layers and Arctic icebreakers. — Heather Farmbrough, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

All in all, icebreakers weren’t needed as Cannes Lions kicked off. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 22 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for icebreaker

• automaker
• boilermaker
• cabinetmaker
• coffeemaker
• troublemaker
• undertaker
• blackacre
• caretaker
• clockmaker
• dressmaker
• filmmaker
• homemaker

Kids Definition

icebreaker

noun

ice·​break·​er -ˌbrā-kər 

1

: a ship equipped to make and keep open a channel through ice

2

: something (as a joke or game) that makes one feel more at ease and less reserved (as at a party or meeting)