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break - 18 dictionary results

break

  [breyk] verb, broke or (Archaic) brake; bro⋅ken or (Archaic) broke; break⋅ing; noun
Use break in a Sentence
–verb (used with object)
1. to smash, split, or divide into parts violently; reduce to pieces or fragments: He broke a vase.
2. to infringe, ignore, or act contrary to (a law, rule, promise, etc.): She broke her promise.
3. to dissolve or annul (often fol. by off): to break off friendly relations with another country.
4. to fracture a bone of (some part of the body): He broke his leg.
5. to lacerate; wound: to break the skin.
6. to destroy or interrupt the regularity, uniformity, continuity, or arrangement of; interrupt: The bleating of a foghorn broke the silence. The troops broke formation.
7. to put an end to; overcome; stop: His touchdown run broke the tie. She found it hard to break the cigarette habit.
8. to discover the system, key, method, etc., for decoding or deciphering (a cryptogram), esp. by the methods of cryptanalysis.
9. to remove a part from (a set or collection): She had to break the set to sell me the two red ones I wanted.
10. to exchange for or divide into smaller units or components: She broke a dollar bill into change. The prism broke the light into all the colors of the rainbow.
11. to make a way through; penetrate: The stone broke the surface of the water.
12. Law.
a. to open or force one's way into (a dwelling, store, etc.).
b. to contest (a will) successfully by judicial action.
13. to make one's way out of, esp. by force: to break jail.
14. to better (a given score or record): He never broke 200 in bowling or 80 in golf.
15. to disclose or divulge personally in speech or writing: He broke the good news to her at dinner.
16. to solve: The police needed only a week to break that case.
17. to rupture (a blood vessel): She almost broke a blood vessel from laughing so hard.
18. to disable or destroy by or as if by shattering or crushing: to break a watch.
19. to cause (a blister, boil, or the like) to burst, as by puncturing: She broke the blister with a needle.
20. to ruin financially; make bankrupt: They threatened to break him if he didn't stop discounting their products.
21. to overcome or wear down the spirit, strength, or resistance of; to cause to yield, esp. under pressure, torture, or the like: They broke him by the threat of blackmail.
22. to dismiss or reduce in rank.
23. to impair or weaken the power, effect, or intensity of: His arm broke the blow.
24. to train to obedience; tame: to break a horse.
25. to train away from a habit or practice (usually fol. by of).
26. Electricity. to render (a circuit) incomplete; stop the flow of (a current).
27. Journalism.
a. to release (a story) for publication or airing on radio or television: They will break the story tomorrow.
b. to continue (a story or article) on another page, esp. when the page is not the following one.
28. Pool. to cause (racked billiard balls) to scatter by striking with the cue ball.
29. Sports.
a. (of a pitcher, bowler, etc.) to hurl (a ball) in such a way as to cause it to change direction after leaving the hand: He broke a curve over the plate for a strike.
b. (in tennis and other racket games) to score frequently or win against (an opponent's serve).
30. Nautical. to unfurl (a flag) suddenly by an easily released knot.
31. to prove the falsity or show the lack of logic of: The FBI broke his alibi by proving he knew how to shoot a pistol.
32. to begin or initiate (a plan or campaign), esp. with much publicity: They were going to break the sales campaign with a parade in April.
33. to open the breech or action of (a shotgun, rifle, or revolver), as by snapping open the hinge between the barrel and the butt.
–verb (used without object)
34. to shatter, burst, or become broken; separate into parts or fragments, esp. suddenly and violently: The glass broke on the floor.
35. to become suddenly discontinuous or interrupted; stop abruptly: She pulled too hard and the string broke.
36. to become detached, separated, or disassociated (usually fol. by away, off, or from): The knob broke off in his hand.
37. to become inoperative or to malfunction, as through wear or damage: The television set broke this afternoon.
38. to begin suddenly or violently or change abruptly into something else: War broke over Europe.
39. to begin uttering a sound or series of sounds or to be uttered suddenly: She broke into song. When they entered, a cheer broke from the audience.
40. to express or start to express an emotion or mood: His face broke into a smile.
41. to free oneself or escape suddenly, as from restraint or dependency (often fol. by away): He broke away from the arresting officer. She finally broke away from her parents and got an apartment of her own.
42. to run or dash toward something suddenly (usually fol. by for): The pass receiver broke for the goal line.
43. to force a way (usually fol. by in, into, or through): The hunters broke through the underbrush.
44. to burst or rupture: A blood vessel broke in his nose. The blister broke when he pricked it.
45. to interrupt or halt an activity (usually fol. by in, into, forth, or from): Don't break in on the conversation. Let's break for lunch.
46. to appear or arrive suddenly (usually fol. by in, into, or out): A deer broke into the clearing. A rash broke out on her arm.
47. to dawn: The day broke hot and sultry.
48. to begin violently and suddenly: The storm broke.
49. (of a storm, foul weather, etc.) to cease: The weather broke after a week, and we were able to sail for home.
50. to part the surface of water, as a jumping fish or surfacing submarine.
51. to give way or fail, as health, strength, or spirit; collapse: After years of hardship and worry, his health broke.
52. to yield or submit to pressure, torture, or the like: He broke under questioning.
53. (of the heart) to be overwhelmed with sorrow: Her heart broke when he told her that he no longer loved her.
54. (of the voice or a musical instrument) to change harshly from one register or pitch to another: After his voice broke, he could no longer sing soprano parts.
55. (of the voice) to cease, waver, or change tone abruptly, esp. from emotional strain: His voice broke when he mentioned her name.
56. (of value or prices) to drop sharply and considerably.
57. to disperse or collapse by colliding with something: The waves broke on the shore.
58. to break dance.
59. (of a horse in a harness race) to fail to keep to a trot or pace, as by starting to gallop.
60. Botany. to mutate; sport.
61. Linguistics. to undergo breaking.
62. Billiards, Pool. to make a break; take the first turn in a game.
63. Sports. (of a pitched or bowled ball) to change direction: The ball broke over the plate.
64. Horse Racing, Track. to leave the starting point: The horses broke fast from the gate.
65. Boxing. to step back or separate from a clinch: The fighters fell into a clinch and broke on the referee's order.
66. to take place; occur.
67. Journalism. to become known, published, or aired: The story broke in the morning papers.
68. Horticulture. to produce flowers or leaves.
–noun
69. an act or instance of breaking; disruption or separation of parts; fracture; rupture: There was a break in the window.
70. an opening made by breaking; gap: The break in the wall had not been repaired.
71. a rush away from a place; an attempt to escape: a break for freedom.
72. a sudden dash or rush, as toward something: When the rain lessened, I made a break for home.
73. a suspension of or sudden rupture in friendly relations.
74. an interruption of continuity; departure from or rupture with: Abstract painters made a break with the traditions of the past.
75. an abrupt or marked change, as in sound or direction, or a brief pause: They noticed a curious break in his voice.
76. Informal.
a. an opportunity or stroke of fortune, esp. a lucky one.
b. a chance to improve one's lot, esp. one unlooked for or undeserved.
77. the breaks, Informal. the way things happen; fate: Sorry to hear about your bad luck, but I guess those are the breaks.
78. a brief rest, as from work: The actors took a ten-minute break from rehearsal.
79. Radio, Television. a brief, scheduled interruption of a program or broadcasting period for the announcement of advertising or station identification.
80. Prosody. a pause or caesura.
81. Jazz. a solo passage, usually of from 2 to 12 bars, during which the rest of the instruments are silent.
82. Music. the point in the scale where the quality of voice of one register changes to that of another, as from chest to head.
83. break dancing.
84. a sharp and considerable drop in the prices of stock issues.
85. Electricity. an opening or discontinuity in a circuit.
86. Printing.
a. one or more blank lines between two paragraphs.
b. breaks. suspension points.
87. the place, after a letter, where a word is or may be divided at the end of a line.
88. a collapse of health, strength, or spirit; breakdown.
89. Informal. an indiscreet or awkward remark or action; social blunder; faux pas.
90. Billiards, Pool. a series of successful strokes; run.
91. Pool. the opening play, in which the cue ball is shot to scatter the balls.
92. Sports. a change in direction of a pitched or bowled ball.
93. Horse Racing, Track. the start of a race.
94. (in harness racing) an act or instance of a horse's changing from a trot or pace into a gallop or other step.
95. Bowling. a failure to knock down all ten pins in a single frame.
96. Boxing. an act or instance of stepping back or separating from a clinch: a clean break.
97. any of several stages in the grinding of grain in which the bran is separated from the kernel.
98. Botany. a sport.
99. Journalism. the point at the bottom of a column where a printed story is carried over to another column or page.
100. Nautical. the place at which a superstructure, deckhouse, or the like, rises from the main deck of a vessel.
101. breaks, Physical Geography. an area dissected by small ravines and gullies.
102. Mining. a fault or offset, as in a vein or bed of ore.
—Verb phrases
103. break away,
a. to leave or escape, esp. suddenly or hurriedly.
b. to sever connections or allegiance, as to tradition or a political group.
c. to start prematurely: The horse broke away from the starting gate.
104. break back, Tennis. to win a game served by an opponent immediately after the opponent has done so against one's own serve.
105. break down,
a. to become ineffective.
b. to lose control; weaken: He broke down and wept at the sad news.
c. to have a physical or mental collapse.
d. to cease to function: The car broke down.
e. to itemize: to break down a hotel bill into daily charges.
f. Chemistry. to separate (a compound) into its constituent molecules.
g. Electricity. (of an insulator) to fail, as when subjected to excessively high voltage, permitting a current to pass.
h. to decompose.
i. to analyze.
j. to classify.
k. to separate into constituent parts: to break down a beef carcass into basic cuts.
106. break in,
a. to enter by force or craft: Someone broke in and made off with all the furniture.
b. to train or instruct; initiate: The boss is breaking in a new assistant.
c. to begin to wear or use in order to make comfortable: These shoes haven't been broken in.
d. to interrupt: He broke in with a ridiculous objection.
e. to run (new machinery) initially under reduced load and speed, until any stiffness of motion has departed and all parts are ready to operate under normal service conditions; run in; wear in.
107. break in on or upon, to enter with force upon or accidentally interrupt; intrude upon: The visitor opened the wrong door and broke in on a private conference.
108. break into,
a. to interpose; interrupt: He broke into the conversation at a crucial moment.
b. to begin some activity.
c. to be admitted into; enter, as a business or profession: It is difficult to break into the theater.
d. to enter by force: They broke into the store and stole the safe.
109. break off,
a. to sever by breaking.
b. to stop suddenly; discontinue: to break off a conversation; to break off relations with one's neighbors.
110. break out,
a. to begin abruptly; arise: An epidemic broke out.
b. Pathology. (of certain diseases) to appear in eruptions.
c. (of a person) to manifest a skin eruption.
d. to prepare for use: to break out the parachutes.
e. to take out of (storage, concealment, etc.) for consumption: to break out one's best wine.
f. Nautical. to dislodge (the anchor) from the bottom.
g. to escape; flee: He spent three years in prison before he broke out.
h. to separate into categories or list specific items: to break out gift ideas according to price range; The report breaks out quarterly profits and losses.
111. break up,
a. to separate; scatter.
b. to put an end to; discontinue.
c. to divide or become divided into pieces.
d. to dissolve.
e. to disrupt; upset: Television commercials during a dramatic presentation break up the continuity of effect.
f. (of a personal relationship) to end: to break up a friendship; Their marriage broke up last year.
g. to end a personal relationship: Bob and Mary broke up last month.
h. to be or cause to be overcome with laughter: The comedian told several jokes that broke up the audience.
112. break with,
a. to sever relations with; separate from: to break with one's family.
b. to depart from; repudiate: to break with tradition.
—Idioms
113. break bulk, Nautical. to remove a cargo wholly or in part.
114. break camp, to pack up tents and equipment and resume a journey or march: They broke camp at dawn and proceeded toward the mountains.
115. break even, to finish a business transaction, period of gambling, series of games, etc., with no loss or gain: He played poker all night and broke even.
116. break ground,
a. to begin construction, esp. of a building or group of buildings: to break ground for a new housing development.
b. Nautical. to free an anchor from the bottom; break out.
117. break it down, Australian Slang.
a. stop it; calm down.
b. (used as an exclamation of disbelief) that can't be true!
118. break one's heart. heart (def. 20).
119. break service, Tennis. to win a game served by one's opponent.
120. break sheer, Nautical. (of an anchored vessel) to drift into such a position as to risk fouling the anchor or anchor cable. Compare sheer 2 (def. 6).
121. break step. step (def. 37).
122. break wind. wind 1 (def. 26).
Origin:
bef. 900; ME breken, OE brecan; c. D breken, G brechen, Goth brikan; akin to L frangere; see fragile

Related forms:
break⋅a⋅ble, adjective
break⋅a⋅ble⋅ness, noun
break⋅a⋅bly, adverb
breakless, adjective

Synonyms:
1. fracture, splinter, shiver. Break, crush, shatter, smash mean to reduce to parts, violently or by force. Break means to divide by means of a blow, a collision, a pull, or the like: to break a chair, a leg, a strap. To crush is to subject to (usually heavy or violent) pressure so as to press out of shape or reduce to shapelessness or to small particles: to crush a beetle. To shatter is to break in such a way as to cause the pieces to fly in many directions: to shatter a light globe. To smash is to break noisily and suddenly into many pieces: to smash a glass. 2. disobey, contravene. 6. disrupt. 14. surpass, beat. 22. demote. 34. fragment, smash. 69. rent, tear, rip, rift, split; breach, fissure, crack. 74. stop, hiatus, lacuna, pause, caesura.

Antonyms:
1. repair.

break dance

 
–verb (used without object)
to perform break dancing.
Also, break.

break dancing

 
–noun
a style of acrobatic dancing originating in the mid-1970s, often performed to rap music usually by teenage males in the streets, and characterized by intricate footwork, pantomime, spinning headstands, tumbling, and elaborate improvised virtuosic movements.
Also, breakdancing.
Also called break, breaking.

Origin:
sense of break unclear; cf. breakdown (def. 6)

Related forms:
break dancer, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To break
break   (brāk)   
v.   broke (brōk), bro·ken (brō'kən), break·ing, breaks

v.   tr.
  1. To cause to separate into pieces suddenly or violently; smash.
    1. To divide into pieces, as by bending or cutting: break crackers for a baby.
    2. To separate into components or parts: broke the work into discrete tasks.
    3. To fracture a bone of: I broke my leg.
    4. To fracture (a bone): I broke my femur.
    5. To destroy the completeness of (a group of related items): broke the set of books by giving some away.
    6. To exchange for smaller monetary units: break a dollar.
    7. To force or make a way through; puncture or penetrate: The blade barely broke the skin.
    8. To part or pierce the surface of: a dolphin breaking water.
    9. To find an opening or flaw in: They couldn't break my alibi.
    10. To find the solution or key to; uncover the basic elements and arrangement of: break a code; break a spy ring.
    11. To give up (a habit).
    12. To cause to give up a habit: They managed to break themselves of smoking.
  3. To snap off or detach: broke a twig from the tree.
    1. To fracture a bone of: I broke my leg.
    2. To fracture (a bone): I broke my femur.
    3. To destroy the completeness of (a group of related items): broke the set of books by giving some away.
    4. To exchange for smaller monetary units: break a dollar.
    5. To force or make a way through; puncture or penetrate: The blade barely broke the skin.
    6. To part or pierce the surface of: a dolphin breaking water.
    7. To find an opening or flaw in: They couldn't break my alibi.
    8. To find the solution or key to; uncover the basic elements and arrangement of: break a code; break a spy ring.
    9. To give up (a habit).
    10. To cause to give up a habit: They managed to break themselves of smoking.
  5. To crack without separating into pieces.
    1. To destroy the completeness of (a group of related items): broke the set of books by giving some away.
    2. To exchange for smaller monetary units: break a dollar.
    3. To force or make a way through; puncture or penetrate: The blade barely broke the skin.
    4. To part or pierce the surface of: a dolphin breaking water.
    5. To find an opening or flaw in: They couldn't break my alibi.
    6. To find the solution or key to; uncover the basic elements and arrangement of: break a code; break a spy ring.
    7. To give up (a habit).
    8. To cause to give up a habit: They managed to break themselves of smoking.
  7. To vary or disrupt the uniformity or continuity of: a plain that was broken by low hills; caught the ball without breaking stride.
  8. Electricity To render (a circuit) inoperative by disruption; open.
    1. To force or make a way through; puncture or penetrate: The blade barely broke the skin.
    2. To part or pierce the surface of: a dolphin breaking water.
    3. To find an opening or flaw in: They couldn't break my alibi.
    4. To find the solution or key to; uncover the basic elements and arrangement of: break a code; break a spy ring.
    5. To give up (a habit).
    6. To cause to give up a habit: They managed to break themselves of smoking.
  10. To produce (a sweat) copiously on the skin, as from exercise.
  11. To force one's way out of; escape from: break jail.
  12. To make or bring about by cutting or forcing: break a trail through the woods.
    1. To find an opening or flaw in: They couldn't break my alibi.
    2. To find the solution or key to; uncover the basic elements and arrangement of: break a code; break a spy ring.
    3. To give up (a habit).
    4. To cause to give up a habit: They managed to break themselves of smoking.
  14. To make known, as news: break a story.
  15. To surpass or outdo: broke the league's home-run record.
  16. To overcome or put an end to, especially by force or strong opposition: break a deadlock in negotiations; break a strike.
  17. Sports To win a game on (an opponent's service), as in tennis.
  18. To lessen the force or effect of: break a fall.
  19. To render useless or inoperative: We accidentally broke the radio.
  20. To weaken or destroy, as in spirit or health; overwhelm with adversity: "For a hero loves the world till it breaks him" (William Butler Yeats).
  21. To cause the ruin or failure of (an enterprise, for example): Indiscretion broke both marriage and career.
  22. To reduce in rank; demote.
  23. To cause to be without money or to go into bankruptcy.
  24. To fail to fulfill; cancel: break an engagement.
  25. To fail to conform to; violate: break the speed limit.
  26. Law To invalidate (a will) by judicial action.
    1. To give up (a habit).
    2. To cause to give up a habit: They managed to break themselves of smoking.
  28. To train to obey; tame: The horse was difficult to break.
v.   intr.
  1. To become separated into pieces or fragments.
  2. To become cracked or split.
  3. To become fractured: His arm broke from the fall.
  4. To become unusable or inoperative: The television broke.
  5. To give way; collapse: The scaffolding broke during the storm.
  6. To burst: The blister broke.
    1. To intrude: They broke in upon our conversation.
    2. To filter in or penetrate: Sunlight broke into the room.
  8. To scatter or disperse; part: The clouds broke after the storm.
  9. Games To make the opening shot that scatters the grouped balls in billiards or pool.
  10. Sports To separate from a clinch in boxing.
  11. Sports To win a game on the opponent's service, as in tennis: broke twice in the first set.
  12. To move away or escape suddenly: broke from his grip and ran off.
  13. To come forth or begin from a state of latency; come into being or emerge: A storm was breaking over Miami. Crocuses broke from the soil.
  14. To emerge above the surface of water.
  15. To become known or noticed: The big story broke on Friday.
  16. To change direction or move suddenly: The quarterback broke to the left to avoid a tackler.
  17. Baseball To curve near or over the plate: The pitch broke away from the batter.
  18. To change suddenly from one tone quality or musical register to another: His voice broke into a falsetto.
  19. Linguistics To undergo breaking.
  20. To change to a gait different from the one set. Used of a horse.
  21. To interrupt or cease an activity: We'll break for coffee at ten.
  22. To discontinue an association, an agreement, or a relationship: The partners broke over a financial matter. One hates to break with an old friend.
  23. To diminish or discontinue abruptly: The fever is breaking.
  24. To diminish in or lose physical or spiritual strength; weaken or succumb: Their good cheer broke after repeated setbacks.
  25. To decrease sharply in value or quantity: Stock prices broke when the firm suddenly announced layoffs.
  26. To come to an end: The cold spell broke yesterday.
  27. To collapse or crash into surf or spray: waves that were breaking along the shore.
  28. Informal To take place or happen; proceed: Things have been breaking well for them.
  29. To engage in breaking; break dance.
n.  
  1. The act or an occurrence of breaking.
  2. The result of breaking, as a crack, separation, or opening: a break in the clouds.
  3. The beginning or emergence of something: the break of day
  4. A sudden movement; a dash: The dog made a break toward the open field.
  5. An escape: a prison break.
  6. An interruption or a disruption in continuity or regularity: television programming without commercial breaks.
  7. A pause or interval, as from work: a coffee break.
  8. A sudden or marked change: a break in the weather.
  9. A violation: a security break.
  10. An often sudden piece of luck, especially good luck: finally got the big break in life.
  11. Informal
    1. An allowance or indulgence; accommodating treatment: The boss gave me a break because I'd been sick.
    2. A favorable price or reduction: a tax break for charitable contributions.
    3. The space between two paragraphs.
    4. A series of three dots ( . . . ) used to indicate an omission in a text.
    5. The place where a word is or should be divided at the end of a line.
    6. The point at which one register or tonal quality changes to another.
    7. The change itself.
    8. A solo jazz cadenza that is played during the pause between the regular phrases or choruses of a melody or that serves as an introduction to a more extended solo.
    9. A fast break.
    10. A rush toward the goal, as in hockey, by offense players in control of the puck or ball, often against fewer defenders: a three-on-one break.
    11. The separation after a clinch in boxing.
    12. To become or cause to become distressed or upset.
    13. To have a physical or mental collapse.
    14. To divide into or consider in parts; analyze.
    15. To be divisible; admit of analysis: The population breaks down into three main groups.
    16. To interrupt a conversation or discussion.
    17. To intrude.
    18. To discontinue (a relationship).
    19. To cease to be friendly.
    20. To ready for action or use: Break out the rifles!
    21. To bring forth for consumption: Let's break out the champagne.
    22. To separate or be separated into pieces: She broke up a chocolate bar. The river ice finally broke up.
    23. To interrupt the uniformity or continuity of: An impromptu visit broke up the long afternoon.
  12. A severing of ties: made a break with the past; a break between the two families.
  13. Informal A faux pas.
  14. A sudden decline in prices.
  15. A caesura.
  16. Printing
    1. The space between two paragraphs.
    2. A series of three dots ( . . . ) used to indicate an omission in a text.
    3. The place where a word is or should be divided at the end of a line.
    4. The point at which one register or tonal quality changes to another.
    5. The change itself.
    6. A solo jazz cadenza that is played during the pause between the regular phrases or choruses of a melody or that serves as an introduction to a more extended solo.
    7. A fast break.
    8. A rush toward the goal, as in hockey, by offense players in control of the puck or ball, often against fewer defenders: a three-on-one break.
    9. The separation after a clinch in boxing.
    10. To become or cause to become distressed or upset.
    11. To have a physical or mental collapse.
    12. To divide into or consider in parts; analyze.
    13. To be divisible; admit of analysis: The population breaks down into three main groups.
    14. To interrupt a conversation or discussion.
    15. To intrude.
    16. To discontinue (a relationship).
    17. To cease to be friendly.
    18. To ready for action or use: Break out the rifles!
    19. To bring forth for consumption: Let's break out the champagne.
    20. To separate or be separated into pieces: She broke up a chocolate bar. The river ice finally broke up.
    21. To interrupt the uniformity or continuity of: An impromptu visit broke up the long afternoon.
  17. Electricity Interruption of a flow of current.
  18. Geology A marked change in topography such as a fault or deep valley.
  19. Nautical The point of discontinuity between two levels on the deck of a ship.
  20. Music
    1. The point at which one register or tonal quality changes to another.
    2. The change itself.
    3. A solo jazz cadenza that is played during the pause between the regular phrases or choruses of a melody or that serves as an introduction to a more extended solo.
    4. A fast break.
    5. A rush toward the goal, as in hockey, by offense players in control of the puck or ball, often against fewer defenders: a three-on-one break.
    6. The separation after a clinch in boxing.
    7. To become or cause to become distressed or upset.
    8. To have a physical or mental collapse.
    9. To divide into or consider in parts; analyze.
    10. To be divisible; admit of analysis: The population breaks down into three main groups.
    11. To interrupt a conversation or discussion.
    12. To intrude.
    13. To discontinue (a relationship).
    14. To cease to be friendly.
    15. To ready for action or use: Break out the rifles!
    16. To bring forth for consumption: Let's break out the champagne.
    17. To separate or be separated into pieces: She broke up a chocolate bar. The river ice finally broke up.
    18. To interrupt the uniformity or continuity of: An impromptu visit broke up the long afternoon.
  21. A change in a horse's gait to one different from that set by the rider.
  22. Sports The swerving of a ball from a straight path of flight, as in baseball or cricket.
  23. Sports The beginning of a race.
  24. Sports
    1. A fast break.
    2. A rush toward the goal, as in hockey, by offense players in control of the puck or ball, often against fewer defenders: a three-on-one break.
    3. The separation after a clinch in boxing.
    4. To become or cause to become distressed or upset.
    5. To have a physical or mental collapse.
    6. To divide into or consider in parts; analyze.
    7. To be divisible; admit of analysis: The population breaks down into three main groups.
    8. To interrupt a conversation or discussion.
    9. To intrude.
    10. To discontinue (a relationship).
    11. To cease to be friendly.
    12. To ready for action or use: Break out the rifles!
    13. To bring forth for consumption: Let's break out the champagne.
    14. To separate or be separated into pieces: She broke up a chocolate bar. The river ice finally broke up.
    15. To interrupt the uniformity or continuity of: An impromptu visit broke up the long afternoon.
  25. Games The opening shot that scatters the grouped balls in billiards or pool.
  26. Games A run or unbroken series of successful shots, as in billiards or croquet.
  27. Sports & Games Failure to score a strike or a spare in a given bowling frame.
  28. Sports A service break.
  29. also brake A high horse-drawn carriage with four wheels.
  30. Break dancing.
  31. To separate or detach oneself, as from a group.
  32. To move rapidly away from or ahead of a group: The cyclist broke away from the pack.
  33. To discontinue customary practice.
  34. To cause to collapse; destroy: break down a partition; broke down our resolve.
    1. To become or cause to become distressed or upset.
    2. To have a physical or mental collapse.
    3. To divide into or consider in parts; analyze.
    4. To be divisible; admit of analysis: The population breaks down into three main groups.
    5. To interrupt a conversation or discussion.
    6. To intrude.
    7. To discontinue (a relationship).
    8. To cease to be friendly.
    9. To ready for action or use: Break out the rifles!
    10. To bring forth for consumption: Let's break out the champagne.
    11. To separate or be separated into pieces: She broke up a chocolate bar. The river ice finally broke up.
    12. To interrupt the uniformity or continuity of: An impromptu visit broke up the long afternoon.
  36. To give up resistance; give way: prejudices that break down slowly.
  37. To fail to function; cease to be useful, effective, or operable: The elevator broke down.
  38. To render or become weak or ineffective: Opposition to the king's rule gradually broke down his authority.
    1. To divide into or consider in parts; analyze.
    2. To be divisible; admit of analysis: The population breaks down into three main groups.
    3. To interrupt a conversation or discussion.
    4. To intrude.
    5. To discontinue (a relationship).
    6. To cease to be friendly.
    7. To ready for action or use: Break out the rifles!
    8. To bring forth for consumption: Let's break out the champagne.
    9. To separate or be separated into pieces: She broke up a chocolate bar. The river ice finally broke up.
    10. To interrupt the uniformity or continuity of: An impromptu visit broke up the long afternoon.
  40. To decompose or cause to decompose chemically.
  41. Electricity To undergo a breakdown.
  42. To train or adapt for a purpose.
  43. To loosen or soften with use: break in new shoes.
  44. To enter premises forcibly or illegally: a prowler who was trying to break in.
    1. To interrupt a conversation or discussion.
    2. To intrude.
    3. To discontinue (a relationship).
    4. To cease to be friendly.
    5. To ready for action or use: Break out the rifles!
    6. To bring forth for consumption: Let's break out the champagne.
    7. To separate or be separated into pieces: She broke up a chocolate bar. The river ice finally broke up.
    8. To interrupt the uniformity or continuity of: An impromptu visit broke up the long afternoon.
  46. To begin an activity or undertaking: The Senator broke in during the war years.
  47. To interrupt: "No one would have dared to break into his abstraction" (Alan Paton).
  48. To begin suddenly: The horse broke into a wild gallop. The child broke into a flood of tears.
  49. To enter (a field of activity): broke into broadcast journalism at an early age.
  50. To separate or become separated, as by twisting or tearing.
  51. To stop suddenly, as in speaking.
    1. To discontinue (a relationship).
    2. To cease to be friendly.
    3. To ready for action or use: Break out the rifles!
    4. To bring forth for consumption: Let's break out the champagne.
    5. To separate or be separated into pieces: She broke up a chocolate bar. The river ice finally broke up.
    6. To interrupt the uniformity or continuity of: An impromptu visit broke up the long afternoon.
  53. To become affected with a skin eruption, such as pimples.
  54. To develop suddenly and forcefully: Fighting broke out in the prison cells.
    1. To ready for action or use: Break out the rifles!
    2. To bring forth for consumption: Let's break out the champagne.
    3. To separate or be separated into pieces: She broke up a chocolate bar. The river ice finally broke up.
    4. To interrupt the uniformity or continuity of: An impromptu visit broke up the long afternoon.
  56. To emerge or escape.
  57. To be separable or classifiable into categories, as data.
  58. To isolate (information) from a large body of data.
    1. To separate or be separated into pieces: She broke up a chocolate bar. The river ice finally broke up.
    2. To interrupt the uniformity or continuity of: An impromptu visit broke up the long afternoon.
  60. To scatter; disperse: The crowd broke up after the game.
  61. To cease to function or cause to stop functioning as an organized unit or group: His jazz band broke up. The new CEO broke up the corporation.
  62. To bring or come to an end: Guards broke up the fight. They argued, and their friendship broke up.
  63. Informal To burst or cause to burst into laughter.
Phrasal Verb(s):
break away
  1. To separate or detach oneself, as from a group.
  2. To move rapidly away from or ahead of a group: The cyclist broke away from the pack.
  3. To discontinue customary practice.
break down
  1. To cause to collapse; destroy: break down a partition; broke down our resolve.
    1. To become or cause to become distressed or upset.
    2. To have a physical or mental collapse.
    3. To divide into or consider in parts; analyze.
    4. To be divisible; admit of analysis: The population breaks down into three main groups.
  3. To give up resistance; give way: prejudices that break down slowly.
  4. To fail to function; cease to be useful, effective, or operable: The elevator broke down.
  5. To render or become weak or ineffective: Opposition to the king's rule gradually broke down his authority.
    1. To divide into or consider in parts; analyze.
    2. To be divisible; admit of analysis: The population breaks down into three main groups.
  7. To decompose or cause to decompose chemically.
  8. Electricity To undergo a breakdown.
break in
  1. To train or adapt for a purpose.
  2. To loosen or soften with use: break in new shoes.
  3. To enter premises forcibly or illegally: a prowler who was trying to break in.
    1. To interrupt a conversation or discussion.
    2. To intrude.
  5. To begin an activity or undertaking: The Senator broke in during the war years.
break into
  1. To interrupt: "No one would have dared to break into his abstraction" (Alan Paton).
  2. To begin suddenly: The horse broke into a wild gallop. The child broke into a flood of tears.
  3. To enter (a field of activity): broke into broadcast journalism at an early age.
break off
  1. To separate or become separated, as by twisting or tearing.
  2. To stop suddenly, as in speaking.
    1. To discontinue (a relationship).
    2. To cease to be friendly.
break out
  1. To become affected with a skin eruption, such as pimples.
  2. To develop suddenly and forcefully: Fighting broke out in the prison cells.
    1. To ready for action or use: Break out the rifles!
    2. To bring forth for consumption: Let's break out the champagne.
  4. To emerge or escape.
  5. To be separable or classifiable into categories, as data.
  6. To isolate (information) from a large body of data.
break throughTo make a sudden, quick advance, as through an obstruction.
break up
    1. To separate or be separated into pieces: She broke up a chocolate bar. The river ice finally broke up.
    2. To interrupt the uniformity or continuity of: An impromptu visit broke up the long afternoon.
  2. To scatter; disperse: The crowd broke up after the game.
  3. To cease to function or cause to stop functioning as an organized unit or group: His jazz band broke up. The new CEO broke up the corporation.
  4. To bring or come to an end: Guards broke up the fight. They argued, and their friendship broke up.
  5. Informal To burst or cause to burst into laughter.

Idiom(s):
break a legUsed to wish someone, such as an actor, success in a performance.

Idiom(s):
break breadTo eat together.

Idiom(s):
break campTo pack up equipment and leave a campsite.

Idiom(s):
break coverTo emerge from a protected location or hiding place: The platoon broke cover and headed down the road.

Idiom(s):
break evenTo gain an amount equal to that invested, as in a commercial venture.

Idiom(s):
break ground
  1. To begin a new construction project.
  2. To advance beyond previous achievements.

Idiom(s):
break new groundTo advance beyond previous achievements: broke new ground in the field of computers.

Idiom(s):
break (one's) neckTo make the utmost possible effort.

Idiom(s):
break rank/ranks
  1. To fall into disorder, as a formation of soldiers.
  2. To fail to conform to a prevailing or expected pattern or order: "Architectural experts have criticized the plaza in the past because it breaks rank with the distinctive façades of neighboring Fifth Avenue blocks, whose buildings are flush with the sidewalk" (Sharon Churcher).

Idiom(s):
break (someone's) heartTo disappoint or dispirit someone severely.

Idiom(s):
break the bankTo require more money than is available.

Idiom(s):
break the ice
  1. To make a start.
  2. To relax a tense or unduly formal atmosphere or social situation.

Idiom(s):
break windTo expel intestinal gas.

[Middle English breken, from Old English brecan; see bhreg- in Indo-European roots.]
Synonyms: These verbs mean to separate or cause to separate into parts or pieces, either by the sudden application of force or by the pressure of internal stress. Break is the most general: The window was broken by vandals. I broke my arm when I fell. That delicate ornament will break easily.
To crack is to break, often with a sharp snapping sound, without dividing into parts: I cracked the coffeepot, but it didn't leak. The building's foundation cracked during the earthquake.
Fracture applies to a break or crack in a rigid body: She fractured her skull in the accident.
Burst implies a sudden coming apart, especially from internal pressure, and the dispersion of contents: The child burst the balloon with a pin.
Split refers to a division longitudinally or with the grain: She split the log with an ax.
Splinter implies splitting into long, thin, sharp pieces: Repeated blows splintered the door.
To shatter is to break into many scattered pieces: The bullet shattered the mirror upon impact.
Smash stresses force of blow or impact and suggests complete destruction: He angrily smashed the vase against the wall. See Also Synonyms at demote, opportunity.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

Break

Break\, v. t. [imp. broke, (Obs. Brake); p. p. Broken, (Obs. Broke); p. pr. & vb. n. Breaking.] [OE. breken, AS. brecan; akin to OS. brekan, D. breken, OHG. brehhan, G. brechen, Icel. braka to creak, Sw. braka, br["a]kka to crack, Dan. br[ae]kke to break, Goth. brikan to break, L. frangere. Cf. Bray to pound, Breach, Fragile.]

1. To strain apart; to sever by fracture; to divide with violence; as, to break a rope or chain; to break a seal; to break an axle; to break rocks or coal; to break a lock. --Shak.

2. To lay open as by breaking; to divide; as, to break a package of goods.

3. To lay open, as a purpose; to disclose, divulge, or communicate.

Katharine, break thy mind to me. --Shak.

4. To infringe or violate, as an obligation, law, or promise.

Out, out, hyena! these are thy wonted arts . . . To break all faith, all vows, deceive, betray. --Milton

5. To interrupt; to destroy the continuity of; to dissolve or terminate; as, to break silence; to break one's sleep; to break one's journey.

Go, release them, Ariel; My charms I'll break, their senses I'll restore. --Shak.

6. To destroy the completeness of; to remove a part from; as, to break a set.

7. To destroy the arrangement of; to throw into disorder; to pierce; as, the cavalry were not able to break the British squares.

8. To shatter to pieces; to reduce to fragments.

The victim broke in pieces the musical instruments with which he had solaced the hours of captivity. --Prescott.

9. To exchange for other money or currency of smaller denomination; as, to break a five dollar bill.

10. To destroy the strength, firmness, or consistency of; as, to break flax.

11. To weaken or impair, as health, spirit, or mind.

An old man, broken with the storms of state. --Shak.

12. To diminish the force of; to lessen the shock of, as a fall or blow.

I'll rather leap down first, and break your fall. --Dryden.

13. To impart, as news or information; to broach; -- with to, and often with a modified word implying some reserve; as, to break the news gently to the widow; to break a purpose cautiously to a friend.

14. To tame; to reduce to subjection; to make tractable; to discipline; as, to break a horse to the harness or saddle. "To break a colt." --Spenser.

Why, then thou canst not break her to the lute? --Shak.

15. To destroy the financial credit of; to make bankrupt; to ruin.

With arts like these rich Matho, when he speaks, Attracts all fees, and little lawyers breaks. --Dryden.

16. To destroy the official character and standing of; to cashier; to dismiss.

I see a great officer broken. --Swift.

Note: With prepositions or adverbs:

To break down. (a) To crush; to overwhelm; as, to break down one's strength; to break down opposition. (b) To remove, or open a way through, by breaking; as, to break down a door or wall.

To break in. (a) To force in; as, to break in a door. (b) To train; to discipline; as, a horse well broken in.

To break of, to rid of; to cause to abandon; as, to break one of a habit.

To break off. (a) To separate by breaking; as, to break off a twig. (b) To stop suddenly; to abandon. "Break off thy sins by righteousness." --Dan. iv. 27.

To break open, to open by breaking. "Open the door, or I will break it open." --Shak.

To break out, to take or force out by breaking; as, to break out a pane of glass.

To break out a cargo, to unstow a cargo, so as to unload it easily.

To break through. (a) To make an opening through, as, as by violence or the force of gravity; to pass violently through; as, to break through the enemy's lines; to break through the ice. (b) To disregard; as, to break through the ceremony.

To break up. (a) To separate into parts; to plow (new or fallow ground). "Break up this capon." --Shak. "Break up your fallow ground." --Jer. iv. 3. (b) To dissolve; to put an end to. "Break up the court." --Shak.

To break (one) all up, to unsettle or disconcert completely; to upset. [Colloq.]

Note: With an immediate object:

To break the back. (a) To dislocate the backbone; hence, to disable totally. (b) To get through the worst part of; as, to break the back of a difficult undertaking.

To break bulk, to destroy the entirety of a load by removing a portion of it; to begin to unload; also, to transfer in detail, as from boats to cars.

To break cover, to burst forth from a protecting concealment, as game when hunted.

To break a deer or stag, to cut it up and apportion the parts among those entitled to a share.

To break fast, to partake of food after abstinence. See Breakfast.

To break ground. (a) To open the earth as for planting; to commence excavation, as for building, siege operations, and the like; as, to break ground for a foundation, a canal, or a railroad. (b) Fig.: To begin to execute any plan. (c) (Naut.) To release the anchor from the bottom.

To break the heart, to crush or overwhelm (one) with grief.

To break a house (Law), to remove or set aside with violence and a felonious intent any part of a house or of the fastenings provided to secure it.

To break the ice, to get through first difficulties; to overcome obstacles and make a beginning; to introduce a subject.

To break jail, to escape from confinement in jail, usually by forcible means.

To break a jest, to utter a jest. "Patroclus . . . the livelong day breaks scurril jests." --Shak.

To break joints, to lay or arrange bricks, shingles, etc., so that the joints in one course shall not coincide with those in the preceding course.

To break a lance, to engage in a tilt or contest.

To break the neck, to dislocate the joints of the neck.

To break no squares, to create no trouble. [Obs.]

To break a path, road, etc., to open a way through obstacles by force or labor.

To break upon a wheel, to execute or torture, as a criminal by stretching him upon a wheel, and breaking his limbs with an iron bar; -- a mode of punishment formerly employed in some countries.

To break wind, to give vent to wind from the anus.

Syn: To dispart; rend; tear; shatter; batter; violate; infringe; demolish; destroy; burst; dislocate.

Break

Break\, v. i. 1. To come apart or divide into two or more pieces, usually with suddenness and violence; to part; to burst asunder.

2. To open spontaneously, or by pressure from within, as a bubble, a tumor, a seed vessel, a bag.

Else the bottle break, and the wine runneth out. --Math. ix. 17.

3. To burst forth; to make its way; to come to view; to appear; to dawn.

The day begins to break, and night is fled. --Shak.

And from the turf a fountain broke, and gurgled at our feet. --Wordsworth.

4. To burst forth violently, as a storm.

The clouds are still above; and, while I speak, A second deluge o'er our head may break. --Dryden.

5. To open up; to be scattered; to be dissipated; as, the clouds are breaking.

At length the darkness begins to break. --Macaulay.

6. To become weakened in constitution or faculties; to lose health or strength.

See how the dean begins to break; Poor gentleman! he droops apace. --Swift.

7. To be crushed, or overwhelmed with sorrow or grief; as, my heart is breaking.

8. To fall in business; to become bankrupt.

He that puts all upon adventures doth oftentimes break, and come to poverty. --Bacn.

9. To make an abrupt or sudden change; to change the gait; as, to break into a run or gallop.

10. To fail in musical quality; as, a singer's voice breaks when it is strained beyond its compass and a tone or note is not completed, but degenerates into an unmusical sound instead. Also, to change in tone, as a boy's voice at puberty.

11. To fall out; to terminate friendship.

To break upon the score of danger or expense is to be mean and narrow-spirited. --Collier.

Note: With prepositions or adverbs:

To break away, to disengage one's self abruptly; to come or go away against resistance.

Fear me not, man; I will not break away. --Shak.

To break down. (a) To come down by breaking; as, the coach broke down. (b) To fail in any undertaking.

He had broken down almost at the outset. --Thackeray.

To break forth, to issue; to come out suddenly, as sound, light, etc. "Then shall thy light break forth as the morning." --Isa. lviii. 8;

Note: often with into in expressing or giving vent to one's feelings. "Break forth into singing, ye mountains." --Isa. xliv. 23.

To break from, to go away from abruptly.

This radiant from the circling crowd he broke. --Dryden.

To break into, to enter by breaking; as, to break into a house.

To break in upon, to enter or approach violently or unexpectedly. "This, this is he; softly awhile; let us not break in upon him." --Milton.

To break loose. (a) To extricate one's self forcibly. "Who would not, finding way, break loose from hell?" --Milton. (b) To cast off restraint, as of morals or propriety.

To break off. (a) To become separated by rupture, or with suddenness and violence. (b) To desist or cease suddenly. "Nay, forward, old man; do not break off so." --Shak.

To break off from, to desist from; to abandon, as a habit.

To break out. (a) To burst forth; to escape from restraint; to appear suddenly, as a fire or an epidemic. "For in the wilderness shall waters break out, and stream in the desert." --Isa. xxxv. 6 (b) To show itself in cutaneous eruptions; -- said of a disease. (c) To have a rash or eruption on the akin; -- said of a patient.

To break over, to overflow; to go beyond limits.

To break up. (a) To become separated into parts or fragments; as, the ice break up in the rivers; the wreck will break up in the next storm. (b) To disperse. "The company breaks up." --I. Watts.

To break upon, to discover itself suddenly to; to dawn upon.

To break with. (a) To fall out; to sever one's relations with; to part friendship. "It can not be the Volsces dare break with us." --Shak. "If she did not intend to marry Clive, she should have broken with him altogether." --Thackeray. (b) To come to an explanation; to enter into conference; to speak. [Obs.] "I will break with her and with her father." --Shak.

Break

Break\ ( [1913 Webster]), n. [See Break, v. t., and cf. Brake (the instrument), Breach, Brack a crack.]

1. An opening made by fracture or disruption.

2. An interruption of continuity; change of direction; as, a break in a wall; a break in the deck of a ship. Specifically: (a) (Arch.) A projection or recess from the face of a building. (b) (Elec.) An opening or displacement in the circuit, interrupting the electrical current.

3. An interruption; a pause; as, a break in friendship; a break in the conversation.

4. An interruption in continuity in writing or printing, as where there is an omission, an unfilled line, etc.

All modern trash is Set forth with numerous breaks and dashes. --Swift.

5. The first appearing, as of light in the morning; the dawn; as, the break of day; the break of dawn.

6. A large four-wheeled carriage, having a straight body and calash top, with the driver's seat in front and the footman's behind.

7. A device for checking motion, or for measuring friction. See Brake, n. 9 & 10.

8. (Teleg.) See Commutator.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : break
Spanish: romper, quebrar,
German: brechen,
Japanese: こわす
More Translations »

break


1. vt. To cause to be broken (in any sense). "Your latest patch to the editor broke the paragraph commands."
2. v. (of a program) To stop temporarily, so that it may debugged. The place where it stops is a `breakpoint'.
3. [techspeak] vi. To send an RS-232 break (two character widths of line high) over a serial comm line.
4. [Unix] vi. To strike whatever key currently causes the tty driver to send SIGINT to the current process. Normally, break (sense 3), delete or control-C does this.
5. `break break' may be said to interrupt a conversation (this is an example of verb doubling). This usage comes from radio communications, which in turn probably came from landline telegraph/teleprinter usage, as badly abused in the Citizen's Band craze a few years ago.
Jargon File 4.2.0
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break  (v.)
O.E. brecan (class IV strong verb; past tense bræc, pp. brocen), from P.Gmc. *brekan (cf. O.Fris. breka, Du. breken, O.H.G. brehhan, Ger. brechen, Goth. brikan), from PIE base *bhreg- "to break" (see fraction). Most modern senses were in O.E. Meaning "to disclose" is from 1450. Noun sense of "short interval between spells of work (originally between lessons at school) is from 1861. Break the ice is 1602, in ref. to the "coldness" of encounters of strangers. Break wind first attested 1552. Breaker "heavy ocean wave" is from 1684. Breakneck (of speeds, etc.) is from 1562. Breakthrough is 1918, originally in ref. to WWI military events. Ironic theatrical good luck formula break a leg has parallels in Ger. Hals und Bein brechen "break your neck and leg," and It. in bocca al lupo.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Break

A term used in futures markets to describe a rapid and sharp price decline.

Investopedia Commentary

Breaks generally occur due to unforeseen natural occurrences that affect the spot price of commodities. If a break is large enough, exchange safety measures will be implemented to reduce trading for the day.

Related Links

Futures Fundamentals

See also: At The Market, Bear, Bulge, Bull, Buoyant, Congestion, Rally

Investopedia.com. Copyright © 1999-2005 - All rights reserved. Owned and Operated by Investopedia Inc.
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break

  1. A sharp price decline in a particular security or in the market as a whole. A break usually occurs when unexpected negative information is made public and investors rush to sell. Also called market break.
  2. A discrepancy on the books of a brokerage firm.


break

  1. To dissolve an underwriting syndicate.
  2. See bust.

Wall Street Words: An A to Z Guide to Investment Terms by David L. Scott.
Copyright © 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Main Entry: break
Pronunciation: 'brAk
Function: verb
Inflected Forms: broke /'brOk/; bro·ken /'brO-k&n/; break·ing /'brA-ki[ng]/
transitive verb 1 a : VIOLATE, TRANSGRESS <break the law> b : to invalidate (a will) by a court proceeding
2 a : to open (another's real property) by force or without privilege (as consent) for entry —often used in the phrase break and enter breaks and enters a dwelling-house of another —W. Railroad LaFave and A. W. Scott, Junior> b : to escape by force from <breaks prison or escapes or flees from justice —Colorado Revised Statutes>
3 : to cause (a strike) to fail and discontinue by means (as force) other than bargaining intransitive verb : to escape with forceful effort —often used with out break out>—break in·to : to enter by force or without privilege break into a building —Arizona Revised Statutes>
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Main Entry: 1break
Pronunciation: 'brAk
Function: verb
Inflected Forms: broke /'brOk/;bro·ken /'brO-k&n/;break·ing
transitive senses
1 a : to snap into pieces : FRACTURE <break a bone> b : to fracture the bone of (a bodily part) broke her arm> broke his leg in the wreck> c : DISLOCATE <breaking his neck>
2 a : to cause an open wound in : RUPTURE <break the skin> b : to rupture the surface of and permit flowing out oreffusing <break an artery> broke several veins during his seizure> break intransitive senses
1 : to fail in health or strength—often used with down broke down under the strain of medical school>
2 : to suffer complete or marked loss of resistance, composure, resolution,morale, or command of a situation —often used with down broke down under interrogation and told the whole story>

Main Entry: 2break
Function: noun
1 a : an act or action of breaking : FRACTURE b : the act of opening a gap in an electrical circuit
2 a : a condition produced by breaking break in her leg> b : a gap in an otherwise continuous electric circuit
3 : the occurrence of a disease in a person or especially in adomestic animal supposed to be immune to or to have been completely isolated from exposure to that disease
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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break
1. To cause to be broken. "Your latest patch to the editor broke the paragraph commands."
2. (Of a program) To stop temporarily, so that it may debugged. The place where it stops is a "breakpoint".
3. To send an EIA-232 break (two character widths of line high) over a serial line.
4. [Unix] To strike whatever key currently causes the tty driver to send SIGINT to the current process. Normally, break, delete or control-C does this.
5. "break break" may be said to interrupt a conversation (this is an example of verb doubling). This usage comes from radio communications, which in turn probably came from landline telegraph/teleprinter usage, as badly abused in the Citizen's Band craze.
6. pipeline break.
7. break statement.
[The Jargon File]
(2004-03-24)

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
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break

In addition to the idioms beginning with break, also see get a break; give someone a break; make a break for it; make or break; never give a sucker an even break; take a break; tough break. Also see under broke.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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break

either of two types of vehicle. One is a heavy four-wheeled carriage frame used for the training and exercising of horses, either singly or in teams of two or four. It has no body parts except for a high seat upon which the driver sits and a small platform for a helper immediately behind.

Learn more about break with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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