different between activity vs icebreaker

English

Etymology

From Middle French activité, from Latin activitas. Equivalent to active +? -ity.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /æk?t?.v?.ti/, /æk?t?.v?.ti?/, /æk?t?.v?.ti/
• Rhymes: -?v?ti

Noun

activity (countable and uncountable, plural activities)

1. (uncountable) The state or quality of being active; activeness.

2. (countable) Something done as an action or a movement.

3. (countable) Something done for pleasure or entertainment, especially one involving movement or an excursion.

4. (grammar, semantics) The lexical aspect (aktionsart) of verbs or predicates that change over time and have no natural end point.

Usage notes

• Adjectives often used with "activity": increased, decreased, high, low, volcanic, seismic, eruptive, intellectual, physical, mental, spiritual, muscular, cerebral, favorite, recreational, practical, cultural, artistic, literary, musical, political, diplomatic, military, domestic, voluntary, missionary, chemical, optical, productive, reproductive, industrial, commercial, etc.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:activity

Antonyms

• rest
• passivity

Derived terms

• activity book
• activity stream
• activity trap
• beehive of activity
• catalytic activity
• extravehicular activity
• hive of activity
• nonactivity
• optical activity
• overactivity
• radioactivity
• self-activity
• subactivity
• ultrahazardous activity
• underactivity
• zone of polarizing activity

Translations

Further reading

• activity in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• activity in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

English

Alternative forms

• ice breaker, ice-breaker

Etymology

ice +? breaker, in the figurative sense from the expression to break the ice.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /?a?s?b?e?k??/

Noun

icebreaker (plural icebreakers)

1. A ship designed to break through ice so that it, or other ships coming behind, can navigate on frozen seas.

   Coordinate term: slushbreaker
2. (figuratively) A game, activity, humorous anecdote, etc., designed to relax a group of people to help them get to know each other.
3. (theater) A lively song and dance routine at the start of a musical.

Translations

See also

• break the ice
• passagemaker

Further reading

• icebreaker on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• “icebreaker”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.