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iceberg

iceberg

noun ee-seh-BEHRG Rare
Animals & Nature Geography

Origin: Dutch ijsberg, from ijs (ice) + berg (mountain)

Usage Note

Iceberg is a loanword used without modification in Spanish; the Real Academia Española accepts it with the plural icebergs. It is most commonly found in the fixed phrase la punta del iceberg ('the tip of the iceberg'), meaning the visible part of a larger hidden problem.

Examples

"Solo vemos la punta del iceberg."

Natural Translation

We only see the tip of the iceberg.

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