break camp
Slang Dictionary

break definition


  1. n.
    a chance; an opportunity. : Come on, give me a break!
  2. n.
    an escape from prison; a prison breakout. : I hear there's a break planned for tonight.
  3. in.
    [for a news story] to unfold rapidly. (Journalism.) : As the story continues to break, we will bring you the latest.
  4. 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.
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases

break camp

Take down a tent and pack up other gear; also, leave a place, move out. For example, The landlord has to return my rent deposit before I'll break camp. Originally camp denoted a military encampment, but by the mid-1500s the term had been transferred to temporary outdoor sites used by hunters and the like. By the 19th century, the current term was in use. Thus, "It is the hunter's rule to see that the fire is extinguished ... before breaking camp." (F.H. Guillemard, Cruise of Marchesa I, 1886).

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