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View synonyms for

iceberg

[ ahys-burg ]

noun

  1. a large floating mass of ice, detached from a glacier and carried out to sea.
  2. Informal. an emotionally cold person.
  3. Australian Informal. a person who swims or surfs regularly in winter.


iceberg

/ ˈɪɜːɡ /

noun

  1. a large mass of ice floating in the sea, esp a mass that has broken off a polar glacier
  2. tip of the iceberg
    the small visible part of something, esp a problem or difficulty, that is much larger
  3. slang.
    a person considered to have a cold or reserved manner
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

iceberg

  1. A massive body of floating ice that has broken away from a glacier or ice field. Most of an iceberg lies underwater, but because ice is not as dense as water, about one ninth of it remains above the surface.

iceberg

  1. A large piece of ice that has broken away from a glacier at the shore and floated out to sea.
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Notes

Most of the ice in an iceberg is underwater, leaving only the “tip of the iceberg” visible — a fact that is often alluded to in discussions of subjects in which the most important aspects are hidden from view.
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Word History and Origins

Origin of iceberg1

1765–75; half Anglicization, half adoption of Dutch ijsberg ice mountain; cognate with German Eisberg, Swedish isberg
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Word History and Origins

Origin of iceberg1

C18: probably part translation of Middle Dutch ijsberg ice mountain; compare Norwegian isberg
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. tip of the iceberg, the first hint or revelation of something larger or more complex:

    The new evidence in the case is just the tip of the iceberg.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The scientists searched for fingerprints of giant icebergs using very detailed 3D seismic data, collected by oil and gas companies or wind turbine projects doing ocean surveys.

From

We tend to only see the tip of the iceberg - which leaves open the possibility of more unexpected announcements.

From

Survivors group Grenfell Next of Kin said the admission was "the tip of the iceberg".

From

The Civil Guard say the discovery was just "the tip of the iceberg of a plot" of a global criminal organisation involving breeders, transporters and vets.

From

Simmer fresh green garden peas and chopped iceberg in butter with a little salt, pepper and an optional pinch of sugar.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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