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Glite Dictionary
image breaker

image breaker

9.9
A person who destroys religious pictures or statues
  • noun
  • /ˈɪmɪdʒ ˈbreɪkər/
translation icon : rompedor de imágenes
  • Sarnoff: He asked for a patent in 1923 for his image breaker, the iconoscope.

Examples

  • The philosopher was considered an image breaker due to his controversial views on faith.

  • The artist was seen as an image breaker for challenging traditional religious symbols.

  • As an image breaker, he argued that art should not be constrained by established beliefs.

Synonyms

iconoclast
vsimage breaker
  • Formal
9.7

A person who destroys religious images used for worship

is a literal descriptive phrase rather than a single technical word

Antonyms

iconophile
  • Specialized
9.9

A person who supports using religious images in worship

Surface Forms

image breaker singular
image breakers plural

Morphology

image + breaker

The meaning 'a person who destroys images' is directly derivable from the constituents: 'image' (a picture or representation) plus 'breaker' (one who breaks/destroys). This is a regular agentive compound pattern in English (and paralleled in many languages), so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily understand the MWE even if the specialized term 'iconoclast' is unfamiliar.

Etymology

Image breaker comes from history: when some people thought pictures in churches were wrong, they would smash statues and paintings and so literally break an image. That's why the term now means 'someone who destroys religious images'.