iceberg

Everyday

1. An iceberg is a huge piece of floating ice that has broken off a glacier or ice sheet and floats in the sea. tree →
2. "The tip of the iceberg" means a small part of a much bigger problem that you cannot yet see. tree →

In the lessons

In science and geography: about nine tenths of an iceberg is under the water, because ice is a little less dense than seawater. In history: the Titanic sank after hitting an iceberg. Phrases: tip of the iceberg, iceberg lettuce.

Examples

• The ship hit an iceberg and began to sink. tree →
• Most of an iceberg is hidden under the water. tree →
• Polar bears sometimes rest on icebergs. tree →
• The broken window was only the tip of the iceberg. tree →
• We had iceberg lettuce in our salad. tree →
• Icebergs are made of fresh water, not salt water. tree →
• The sea looked quite green, and large icebergs were floating about, each like a pearl, she said, but larger and loftier than the churches built by men. tree →

Note

Countable: an iceberg (vowel sound). Fact for maths and science: about 1/10 shows above water and 9/10 is below. If 20 metres show above, the whole iceberg is about 200 metres tall. Icebergs are frozen fresh water, though they float in salty sea.