iceberg

noun

ice·​berg ˈīs-ˌbərg How to pronounce iceberg (audio)
1
: a large floating mass of ice detached from a glacier
2
: an emotionally cold person
3

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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
In 2020, for instance, an iceberg twice the size of Washington, D.C. broke off Pine Island. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 30 Oct. 2024 The icebergs were calved from Sermeq Kujalleq, the world's fastest moving glacier, and fill a space that is the equivalent of 66,000 football fields. Catherine Garcia, The Week Us, theweek, 15 Oct. 2024 The icebergs’ source, the Jakobshavn Glacier, is sometimes called an outlet glacier and sometimes an ice stream. Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024 What was the moment when the Titanic could have turned and maybe not hit the iceberg, or when Romeo or Juliet might not have drunk that poison and could have been together? Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 3 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for iceberg 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of iceberg was in 1784

Dictionary Entries Near iceberg

Cite this Entry

“Iceberg.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/iceberg. Accessed 18 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

iceberg

noun
ice·​berg ˈīs-ˌbərg How to pronounce iceberg (audio)
: a large floating mass of ice detached from a glacier

More from Merriam-Webster on iceberg

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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