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.
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, AustralianSlang.
a.
stop it; calm down.
b.
(used as an exclamation of disbelief) that can't be true!
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.
(in perception) the background in a visual field, contrasted with the figure.
11.
Also called etching ground.an acid-resistant substance, composed of wax, gum, and resin in varying proportions, applied to the entire surface of an etching plate and through which the design is drawn with an etching needle.
12.
grounds, dregs or sediment: coffee grounds.
13.
grounds, the gardens, lawn, etc., surrounding and belonging to a building.
14.
Electricity. a conducting connection between an electric circuit or equipment and the earth or some other conducting body.
the earth's solid or liquid surface; land or water.
18.
Carpentry.
a.
a strip of wood to which woodwork can be attached, set flush with the plaster finish of a room.
b.
a strip of wood or length of corner bead used at an opening as a stop for plasterwork.
–adjective
19.
situated on or at, or adjacent to, the surface of the earth: a ground attack.
20.
pertaining to the ground.
21.
Military. operating on land: ground forces.
–verb (used with object)
22.
to lay or set on the ground.
23.
to place on a foundation; fix firmly; settle or establish; found.
24.
to instruct in elements or first principles: to ground students in science.
25.
to furnish with a ground or background, as on decorative work.
26.
to cover (wallpaper) with colors or other materials before printing.
27.
Electricity. to establish a ground for (a circuit, device, etc.).
28.
Nautical. to cause (a vessel) to run aground.
29.
Aeronautics. to restrict (an aircraft or the like) to the ground because of bad weather, the unsatisfactory condition of the aircraft, etc.
30.
to forbid (a pilot) to fly because of bad health, failure to comply with safety regulations, or the like.
31.
Informal. to put out of action or make unable to participate: The quarterback was grounded by a knee injury.
32.
Informal. to restrict the activities, esp. the social activities, of: I can't go to the party—my parents have grounded me until my grades improve.
–verb (used without object)
33.
to come to or strike the ground.
34.
Baseball.
a.
to hit a ground ball.
b.
to ground out.
—Verb phrase
35.
ground out, Baseball. to be put out at first base after hitting a ground ball to the infield.
—Idioms
36.
break ground,
a.
to plow.
b.
to begin excavation for a construction project.
c.
to begin upon or take preparatory measures for any undertaking.
37.
cover ground,
a.
to pass or travel over a certain area.
b.
to make a certain amount of progress in dealing with a piece of work, subject, treatise, or the like: He talked for two hours without covering much ground.
38.
cut the ground from under, to render (an argument, position, person, etc.) ineffective or invalid; refute: It didn't require much effort to cut the ground from under that case.
39.
from the ground up,
a.
gradually from the most elementary level to the highest level: She learned the business from the ground up.
b.
extensively; thoroughly: The professor knew his subject from the ground up.
40.
gain ground,
a.
to make progress; advance.
b.
to gain approval or acceptance: The case for air-pollution control is gaining ground throughout the country.
41.
give ground, to yield to force or forceful argument; retreat: The disarmament talks reached an impasse when neither side would give ground on inspection proposals.
42.
hold or stand one's ground, to maintain one's position; be steadfast: The referee stood his ground, though his decision was hotly contested by the crowd.
43.
into the ground, beyond a reasonable or necessary point: You've stated your case, and you needn't run it into the ground.
44.
lose ground,
a.
to retreat or be forced back.
b.
to lose one's advantage; suffer a reverse.
c.
to wane in popularity or acceptance; begin to fail: Our candidate is losing ground in industrial areas.
45.
off the ground, Informal. into action or well under way: The play never got off the ground.
46.
on one's own ground, in an area or situation that one knows well.
47.
on the ground, at the place of interest or importance; actively engaged: Minutes after the bank robbery reporters were on the ground to get the story.
48.
shift ground, to change position in an argument or situation.
49.
suit down to the ground, to be perfectly satisfactory; please greatly: This climate suits me down to the ground.
50.
take the ground, Nautical. to become grounded at low water.
51.
to ground,
a.
into a den, burrow, shelter, or the like: a fox gone to ground.
b.
into concealment or hiding: Rather than take the witness stand, she went to ground in another country.
Origin: bef. 900; (n.) ME grownd, grund, OE grund; c. D grond, G Grund; (v.) ME grundien, grownden to set on a foundation, establish, deriv. of the n.
break (brāk) v.
broke (brōk), bro·ken (brō'kən), break·ing, breaks
v.
tr.
To cause to separate into pieces suddenly or violently; smash.
To divide into pieces, as by bending or cutting: break crackers for a baby.
To separate into components or parts: broke the work into discrete tasks.
To fracture a bone of: I broke my leg.
To fracture (a bone): I broke my femur.
To destroy the completeness of (a group of related items): broke the set of books by giving some away.
To exchange for smaller monetary units: break a dollar.
To force or make a way through; puncture or penetrate: The blade barely broke the skin.
To part or pierce the surface of: a dolphin breaking water.
To find an opening or flaw in: They couldn't break my alibi.
To find the solution or key to; uncover the basic elements and arrangement of: break a code; break a spy ring.
To give up (a habit).
To cause to give up a habit: They managed to break themselves of smoking.
To snap off or detach: broke a twig from the tree.
To fracture a bone of: I broke my leg.
To fracture (a bone): I broke my femur.
To destroy the completeness of (a group of related items): broke the set of books by giving some away.
To exchange for smaller monetary units: break a dollar.
To force or make a way through; puncture or penetrate: The blade barely broke the skin.
To part or pierce the surface of: a dolphin breaking water.
To find an opening or flaw in: They couldn't break my alibi.
To find the solution or key to; uncover the basic elements and arrangement of: break a code; break a spy ring.
To give up (a habit).
To cause to give up a habit: They managed to break themselves of smoking.
To crack without separating into pieces.
To destroy the completeness of (a group of related items): broke the set of books by giving some away.
To exchange for smaller monetary units: break a dollar.
To force or make a way through; puncture or penetrate: The blade barely broke the skin.
To part or pierce the surface of: a dolphin breaking water.
To find an opening or flaw in: They couldn't break my alibi.
To find the solution or key to; uncover the basic elements and arrangement of: break a code; break a spy ring.
To give up (a habit).
To cause to give up a habit: They managed to break themselves of smoking.
To vary or disrupt the uniformity or continuity of: a plain that was broken by low hills; caught the ball without breaking stride.
Electricity To render (a circuit) inoperative by disruption; open.
To force or make a way through; puncture or penetrate: The blade barely broke the skin.
To part or pierce the surface of: a dolphin breaking water.
To find an opening or flaw in: They couldn't break my alibi.
To find the solution or key to; uncover the basic elements and arrangement of: break a code; break a spy ring.
To give up (a habit).
To cause to give up a habit: They managed to break themselves of smoking.
To produce (a sweat) copiously on the skin, as from exercise.
To force one's way out of; escape from: break jail.
To make or bring about by cutting or forcing: break a trail through the woods.
To find an opening or flaw in: They couldn't break my alibi.
To find the solution or key to; uncover the basic elements and arrangement of: break a code; break a spy ring.
To give up (a habit).
To cause to give up a habit: They managed to break themselves of smoking.
To make known, as news: break a story.
To surpass or outdo: broke the league's home-run record.
To overcome or put an end to, especially by force or strong opposition: break a deadlock in negotiations; break a strike.
Sports To win a game on (an opponent's service), as in tennis.
To lessen the force or effect of: break a fall.
To render useless or inoperative: We accidentally broke the radio.
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).
To cause the ruin or failure of (an enterprise, for example): Indiscretion broke both marriage and career.
To reduce in rank; demote.
To cause to be without money or to go into bankruptcy.
To fail to fulfill; cancel: break an engagement.
To fail to conform to; violate: break the speed limit.
Law To invalidate (a will) by judicial action.
To give up (a habit).
To cause to give up a habit: They managed to break themselves of smoking.
To train to obey; tame: The horse was difficult to break.
v.
intr.
To become separated into pieces or fragments.
To become cracked or split.
To become fractured: His arm broke from the fall.
To become unusable or inoperative: The television broke.
To give way; collapse: The scaffolding broke during the storm.
To burst: The blister broke.
To intrude: They broke in upon our conversation.
To filter in or penetrate: Sunlight broke into the room.
To scatter or disperse; part: The clouds broke after the storm.
Games To make the opening shot that scatters the grouped balls in billiards or pool.
Sports To separate from a clinch in boxing.
Sports To win a game on the opponent's service, as in tennis: broke twice in the first set.
To move away or escape suddenly: broke from his grip and ran off.
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.
To emerge above the surface of water.
To become known or noticed: The big story broke on Friday.
To change direction or move suddenly: The quarterback broke to the left to avoid a tackler.
Baseball To curve near or over the plate: The pitch broke away from the batter.
To change suddenly from one tone quality or musical register to another: His voice broke into a falsetto.
Linguistics To undergo breaking.
To change to a gait different from the one set. Used of a horse.
To interrupt or cease an activity: We'll break for coffee at ten.
To discontinue an association, an agreement, or a relationship: The partners broke over a financial matter. One hates to break with an old friend.
To diminish or discontinue abruptly: The fever is breaking.
To diminish in or lose physical or spiritual strength; weaken or succumb: Their good cheer broke after repeated setbacks.
To decrease sharply in value or quantity: Stock prices broke when the firm suddenly announced layoffs.
To come to an end: The cold spell broke yesterday.
To collapse or crash into surf or spray: waves that were breaking along the shore.
Informal To take place or happen; proceed: Things have been breaking well for them.
To engage in breaking; break dance.
n.
The act or an occurrence of breaking.
The result of breaking, as a crack, separation, or opening: a break in the clouds.
The beginning or emergence of something: the break of day
A sudden movement; a dash: The dog made a break toward the open field.
An escape: a prison break.
An interruption or a disruption in continuity or regularity: television programming without commercial breaks.
A pause or interval, as from work: a coffee break.
A sudden or marked change: a break in the weather.
A violation: a security break.
An often sudden piece of luck, especially good luck: finally got the big break in life.
Informal
An allowance or indulgence; accommodating treatment: The boss gave me a break because I'd been sick.
A favorable price or reduction: a tax break for charitable contributions.
The space between two paragraphs.
A series of three dots ( . . . ) used to indicate an omission in a text.
The place where a word is or should be divided at the end of a line.
The point at which one register or tonal quality changes to another.
The change itself.
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.
A fast break.
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.
The separation after a clinch in boxing.
To become or cause to become distressed or upset.
To have a physical or mental collapse.
To divide into or consider in parts; analyze.
To be divisible; admit of analysis: The population breaks down into three main groups.
To interrupt a conversation or discussion.
To intrude.
To discontinue (a relationship).
To cease to be friendly.
To ready for action or use: Break out the rifles!
To bring forth for consumption: Let's break out the champagne.
To separate or be separated into pieces: She broke up a chocolate bar. The river ice finally broke up.
To interrupt the uniformity or continuity of: An impromptu visit broke up the long afternoon.
A severing of ties: made a break with the past; a break between the two families.
Informal A faux pas.
A sudden decline in prices.
A caesura.
Printing
The space between two paragraphs.
A series of three dots ( . . . ) used to indicate an omission in a text.
The place where a word is or should be divided at the end of a line.
The point at which one register or tonal quality changes to another.
The change itself.
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.
A fast break.
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.
The separation after a clinch in boxing.
To become or cause to become distressed or upset.
To have a physical or mental collapse.
To divide into or consider in parts; analyze.
To be divisible; admit of analysis: The population breaks down into three main groups.
To interrupt a conversation or discussion.
To intrude.
To discontinue (a relationship).
To cease to be friendly.
To ready for action or use: Break out the rifles!
To bring forth for consumption: Let's break out the champagne.
To separate or be separated into pieces: She broke up a chocolate bar. The river ice finally broke up.
To interrupt the uniformity or continuity of: An impromptu visit broke up the long afternoon.
Electricity Interruption of a flow of current.
Geology A marked change in topography such as a fault or deep valley.
Nautical The point of discontinuity between two levels on the deck of a ship.
Music
The point at which one register or tonal quality changes to another.
The change itself.
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.
A fast break.
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.
The separation after a clinch in boxing.
To become or cause to become distressed or upset.
To have a physical or mental collapse.
To divide into or consider in parts; analyze.
To be divisible; admit of analysis: The population breaks down into three main groups.
To interrupt a conversation or discussion.
To intrude.
To discontinue (a relationship).
To cease to be friendly.
To ready for action or use: Break out the rifles!
To bring forth for consumption: Let's break out the champagne.
To separate or be separated into pieces: She broke up a chocolate bar. The river ice finally broke up.
To interrupt the uniformity or continuity of: An impromptu visit broke up the long afternoon.
A change in a horse's gait to one different from that set by the rider.
Sports The swerving of a ball from a straight path of flight, as in baseball or cricket.
Sports The beginning of a race.
Sports
A fast break.
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.
The separation after a clinch in boxing.
To become or cause to become distressed or upset.
To have a physical or mental collapse.
To divide into or consider in parts; analyze.
To be divisible; admit of analysis: The population breaks down into three main groups.
To interrupt a conversation or discussion.
To intrude.
To discontinue (a relationship).
To cease to be friendly.
To ready for action or use: Break out the rifles!
To bring forth for consumption: Let's break out the champagne.
To separate or be separated into pieces: She broke up a chocolate bar. The river ice finally broke up.
To interrupt the uniformity or continuity of: An impromptu visit broke up the long afternoon.
Games The opening shot that scatters the grouped balls in billiards or pool.
Games A run or unbroken series of successful shots, as in billiards or croquet.
Sports & Games Failure to score a strike or a spare in a given bowling frame.
Sports A service break.
also brake A high horse-drawn carriage with four wheels.
Break dancing.
To separate or detach oneself, as from a group.
To move rapidly away from or ahead of a group: The cyclist broke away from the pack.
To discontinue customary practice.
To cause to collapse; destroy: break down a partition; broke down our resolve.
To become or cause to become distressed or upset.
To have a physical or mental collapse.
To divide into or consider in parts; analyze.
To be divisible; admit of analysis: The population breaks down into three main groups.
To interrupt a conversation or discussion.
To intrude.
To discontinue (a relationship).
To cease to be friendly.
To ready for action or use: Break out the rifles!
To bring forth for consumption: Let's break out the champagne.
To separate or be separated into pieces: She broke up a chocolate bar. The river ice finally broke up.
To interrupt the uniformity or continuity of: An impromptu visit broke up the long afternoon.
To give up resistance; give way: prejudices that break down slowly.
To fail to function; cease to be useful, effective, or operable: The elevator broke down.
To render or become weak or ineffective: Opposition to the king's rule gradually broke down his authority.
To divide into or consider in parts; analyze.
To be divisible; admit of analysis: The population breaks down into three main groups.
To interrupt a conversation or discussion.
To intrude.
To discontinue (a relationship).
To cease to be friendly.
To ready for action or use: Break out the rifles!
To bring forth for consumption: Let's break out the champagne.
To separate or be separated into pieces: She broke up a chocolate bar. The river ice finally broke up.
To interrupt the uniformity or continuity of: An impromptu visit broke up the long afternoon.
To decompose or cause to decompose chemically.
Electricity To undergo a breakdown.
To train or adapt for a purpose.
To loosen or soften with use: break in new shoes.
To enter premises forcibly or illegally: a prowler who was trying to break in.
To interrupt a conversation or discussion.
To intrude.
To discontinue (a relationship).
To cease to be friendly.
To ready for action or use: Break out the rifles!
To bring forth for consumption: Let's break out the champagne.
To separate or be separated into pieces: She broke up a chocolate bar. The river ice finally broke up.
To interrupt the uniformity or continuity of: An impromptu visit broke up the long afternoon.
To begin an activity or undertaking: The Senator broke in during the war years.
To interrupt: "No one would have dared to break into his abstraction"(Alan Paton).
To begin suddenly: The horse broke into a wild gallop. The child broke into a flood of tears.
To enter (a field of activity): broke into broadcast journalism at an early age.
To separate or become separated, as by twisting or tearing.
To stop suddenly, as in speaking.
To discontinue (a relationship).
To cease to be friendly.
To ready for action or use: Break out the rifles!
To bring forth for consumption: Let's break out the champagne.
To separate or be separated into pieces: She broke up a chocolate bar. The river ice finally broke up.
To interrupt the uniformity or continuity of: An impromptu visit broke up the long afternoon.
To become affected with a skin eruption, such as pimples.
To develop suddenly and forcefully: Fighting broke out in the prison cells.
To ready for action or use: Break out the rifles!
To bring forth for consumption: Let's break out the champagne.
To separate or be separated into pieces: She broke up a chocolate bar. The river ice finally broke up.
To interrupt the uniformity or continuity of: An impromptu visit broke up the long afternoon.
To emerge or escape.
To be separable or classifiable into categories, as data.
To isolate (information) from a large body of data.
To separate or be separated into pieces: She broke up a chocolate bar. The river ice finally broke up.
To interrupt the uniformity or continuity of: An impromptu visit broke up the long afternoon.
To scatter; disperse: The crowd broke up after the game.
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.
To bring or come to an end: Guards broke up the fight. They argued, and their friendship broke up.
Informal To burst or cause to burst into laughter.
Phrasal Verb(s): break away
To separate or detach oneself, as from a group.
To move rapidly away from or ahead of a group: The cyclist broke away from the pack.
To discontinue customary practice.
break down
To cause to collapse; destroy: break down a partition; broke down our resolve.
To become or cause to become distressed or upset.
To have a physical or mental collapse.
To divide into or consider in parts; analyze.
To be divisible; admit of analysis: The population breaks down into three main groups.
To give up resistance; give way: prejudices that break down slowly.
To fail to function; cease to be useful, effective, or operable: The elevator broke down.
To render or become weak or ineffective: Opposition to the king's rule gradually broke down his authority.
To divide into or consider in parts; analyze.
To be divisible; admit of analysis: The population breaks down into three main groups.
To decompose or cause to decompose chemically.
Electricity To undergo a breakdown.
break in
To train or adapt for a purpose.
To loosen or soften with use: break in new shoes.
To enter premises forcibly or illegally: a prowler who was trying to break in.
To interrupt a conversation or discussion.
To intrude.
To begin an activity or undertaking: The Senator broke in during the war years.
break into
To interrupt: "No one would have dared to break into his abstraction"(Alan Paton).
To begin suddenly: The horse broke into a wild gallop. The child broke into a flood of tears.
To enter (a field of activity): broke into broadcast journalism at an early age.
break off
To separate or become separated, as by twisting or tearing.
To stop suddenly, as in speaking.
To discontinue (a relationship).
To cease to be friendly.
break out
To become affected with a skin eruption, such as pimples.
To develop suddenly and forcefully: Fighting broke out in the prison cells.
To ready for action or use: Break out the rifles!
To bring forth for consumption: Let's break out the champagne.
To emerge or escape.
To be separable or classifiable into categories, as data.
To isolate (information) from a large body of data.
break throughTo make a sudden, quick advance, as through an obstruction. break up
To separate or be separated into pieces: She broke up a chocolate bar. The river ice finally broke up.
To interrupt the uniformity or continuity of: An impromptu visit broke up the long afternoon.
To scatter; disperse: The crowd broke up after the game.
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.
To bring or come to an end: Guards broke up the fight. They argued, and their friendship broke up.
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
To begin a new construction project.
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
To fall into disorder, as a formation of soldiers.
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
To make a start.
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.
n. a chance; an opportunity. : Come on, give me a break!
n. an escape from prison; a prison breakout. : I hear there's a break planned for tonight.
in. [for a news story] to unfold rapidly. (Journalism.) : As the story continues to break, we will bring you the latest.
n. a solo played when the rest of the band stops. : This is your break, Andy. Let's hear it, man.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition. Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History
ground
O.E. grund "foundation, ground, surface of the earth," especially "bottom of the sea" (a sense preserved in run aground), from P.Gmc. *grundus, which seems to have meant "deep place" (cf. O.Fris. grund, Du. grond, Ger. Grund "ground, soil, bottom;" O.N. grunn "a shallow place, grund "field, plain," grunnr "bottom"). No known cognates outside Gmc. Sense of "reason, motive" first attested c.1205; electrical sense is from 1870. Grounds "residue at the bottom of a liquid" (1340) is perhaps from past tense of grind (q.v.). Meaning "deny privileges" is 1940s, originally a punishment meted out to pilots (in which sense it is attested from 1931). Ground-hog is attested from 1784; Ground Hog Day first recorded 1871, Amer.Eng. Groundwork (1550) is originally "the solid base on which a structure is built;" fig. sense is from 1557. Groundling "theater patron in the pit" is from 1602, from the beginning emblematic of bad or unsophisticated taste.
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.
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 enterbreaks 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 outbreak out>—break in·to: to enter by force or without privilege break into a building —Arizona Revised Statutes>
Main Entry: ground Function: transitive verb : to furnish a ground for : set on a basis grounded the disclosure requirement in negligence law —Scott v. Bradford, 606 Pacific Reporter, Second Series 554 (1979)> grounded on erroneous assumptions>
Main Entry: 2break Function: noun 1 a: an act or action of breaking :FRACTUREb: 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
Main Entry: ground past and past participle ofGRIND
A connection between an electrical conductor and the Earth. Grounds are used to establish a common zero-voltage reference for electric devices in order to prevent potentially dangerous voltages from arising between them and other objects. Also called earth.
The set of shared points in an electrical circuit at which the measured voltage is taken to be zero. The ground is usually connected directly to the power supply and acts as a common "sink" for current flowing through the components in the circuit.
Begin digging into the earth for new construction of some kind. For example, When will they break ground for the town hall? This usage alludes to breaking up the land with a plow. [Early 1700s]
Take the first steps for a new venture; advance beyond previous achievements. For example, Jeff is breaking new ground in intellectual property law. [Early 1700s]
[breyk] 
verb, broke or (Archaic
) brake; bro⋅ken or (Archaic