icebreaker

icebreaker

icebreaker ship of special hull design and wide beam, with relatively flat bottom, designed to force its way through ice. When the icebreaker charges into the ice at full speed, its sharply inclined bow, meeting the edge of the ice, rises upon it, and the weight of the vessel causes the ice to collapse. A well-designed icebreaker is able to force its way through ice up to 35-ft (10.7-m) thick. In many northern seaports, especially in Russia, Canada, and the Great Lakes area of the United States, water-borne traffic in winter is only possible with the use of icebreakers. Icebreakers have been widely used in the exploration of the Arctic and the Antarctic. The first notable icebreaker was the Pilot (1870), used to maintain communication between Kronstadt and St. Petersburg. In 1959, the Soviet Union launched the first nuclear-powered icebreaker, the Lenin.

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"icebreaker." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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icebreaker

ice·break·er / ˈīsˌbrākər/ • n. a ship designed for breaking a channel through ice. ∎  a thing that serves to relieve inhibitions or tension between people, or start a conversation. ∎  a thing that breaks up moving ice so as to lessen its impact, esp. a structure protecting the upstream end of a bridge pier.

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"icebreaker." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"icebreaker." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-icebreaker.html

"icebreaker." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-icebreaker.html

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icebreaker

icebreaker n. a ship designed for breaking a channel through ice.

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"icebreaker." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"icebreaker." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-icebreaker.html

"icebreaker." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-icebreaker.html

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icebreaker

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"icebreaker." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"icebreaker." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-icebreaker.html

"icebreaker." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-icebreaker.html

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

Invest in new icebreakers.(Opinion)
Newspaper article from: The Seattle Times (Seattle, WA); 12/9/2011
Intimacy of rink warms feelings of Icebreakers fans.(Family...
Newspaper article from: The Washington Times (Washington, DC); 1/26/1999
Lawmakers confronting cold reality for pricey icebreakers; Nation's 2...
Newspaper article from: The Seattle Times (Seattle, WA); 10/10/2011

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