Meaning
icebreaker
- a ship designed to navigate through ice-covered waters
- a question, remark, or activity to ease social tension
In a sentence
La nave rompighiaccio ha aperto una rotta nell'Artico.
The icebreaker opened a route in the Arctic.
Ha fatto una battuta come rompighiaccio all'inizio della conferenza.
He made a joke as an icebreaker at the start of the lecture.
I moderni rompighiaccio possono operare nelle condizioni più estreme.
Modern icebreakers can operate in the most extreme conditions.
Word forms (3)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| rompighiaccio | masculine · singular |
| rompighiaccio | masculine · plural |
| rompighiaccio | masculine · plural |
Usage notes
- Invariable in the plural: 'il rompighiaccio', 'i rompighiaccio'.
- Used both literally for ships and metaphorically for conversation starters.