[ahys-burg] 
| 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. |
| 4. | 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. |
| ice·berg (īs'bûrg') n.
[Partial translation of Dutch ijsberg, from Middle Dutch ijsbergh : ijs, ice + bergh, mountain; see bhergh-2 in Indo-European roots.] |
A large piece of ice that has broken away from a glacier at the shore and floated out to sea.
Note: 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.
iceberg
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iceberg (īs'bûrg') Pronunciation Key
(click for larger image in new window) 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. |