bread
a kind of food made of flour or meal that has been mixed with milk or water, made into a dough or batter, with or without yeast or other leavening agent, and baked.
food or sustenance; livelihood: to earn one's bread.
Slang. money.
Ecclesiastical. the wafer or bread used in a Eucharistic service.
Cooking. to cover with breadcrumbs or meal.
Idioms about bread
break bread,
to eat a meal, especially in companionable association with others.
to distribute or participate in Communion.
cast one's bread upon the waters, to act generously or charitably with no thought of personal gain.
know which side one's bread is buttered on, to be aware of those things that are to one's own advantage.
take the bread out of someone's mouth, to deprive someone of livelihood.
Origin of bread
1Other words from bread
- breadless, adjective
- bread·less·ness, noun
- un·bread·ed, adjective
Words that may be confused with bread
- bread , bred
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for bread
/ (brɛd) /
a food made from a dough of flour or meal mixed with water or milk, usually raised with yeast or baking powder and then baked
necessary food; nourishment: give us our daily bread
a slang word for money
Christianity a small loaf, piece of bread, or wafer of unleavened bread used in the Eucharist
bread and circuses something offered as a means of distracting attention from a problem or grievance
break bread See break (def. 46)
cast one's bread upon the waters to do good without expectation of advantage or return
to know which side one's bread is buttered to know what to do in order to keep one's advantages
take the bread out of someone's mouth to deprive someone of a livelihood
(tr) to cover with breadcrumbs before cooking: breaded veal
Origin of bread
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with bread
In addition to the idioms beginning with bread
- bread and butter
also see:
- break bread
- greatest thing since sliced bread
- know which side of bread is buttered
- take the bread out of someone's mouth
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Browse