This is the 9367th most frequent Japanese word.
砕氷
"砕氷" (さいひょう) means "icebreaking" or "breaking ice."
In this sentence, '砕氷' is used to describe specialized ships designed to break through ice-covered waters.
砕氷船は北極海で運航されています。
Icebreaker ships are operated in the Arctic Ocean.
Here, '砕氷' metaphorically refers to actions or methods that facilitate breaking the ice in social contexts.
会話を砕氷として進める方法を考えています。
I am considering methods to use conversations as icebreakers to advance.
In this sentence, '砕氷' is used in a literal sense to describe the act or process of breaking ice during an experiment to evaluate its properties.