- break
- [[t]breɪk[/t]]v. broke, bro•ken, break•ing, n.1) to smash, split, or divide into parts violently2) to disable or destroy by or as if by shattering or crushing:I broke my watch[/ex]3) to violate or disregard (a law, promise, etc.)4) to fracture a bone of5) to rupture the surface of:to break the skin[/ex]6) to destroy or disrupt the regularity, uniformity, or continuity of; interrupt:A scream broke the silence[/ex]7) to put an end to:to break a tie[/ex]8) crp to discover the system, key, etc., for decoding or deciphering (a code, cryptogram, etc.)9) to remove a part from (a set or collection)10) to exchange for or divide into smaller units:to break a ten dollar bill[/ex]11) to make a way through; penetrate:The stone broke the surface of the water[/ex]12) to escape from, esp. by force:to break jail[/ex]13) to better (a score or record)14) to disclose or reveal:They broke the bad news to us[/ex]15) to solve:to break a murder case[/ex]16) to ruin financially; bankrupt17) to overcome or wear down the spirit, strength, or resistance of18) to reduce in rank19) to lessen or weaken the power, impact, or intensity of:His arm broke the blow[/ex]20) to train to obedience; tame:to break a horse[/ex]21) to train away from a habit or practice (usu. fol. by of)22) law to contest (a will) successfully by judicial action23) elm to render (an electronic circuit) incomplete; stop the flow of (a current)24) spo (in tennis and other racket games) to score frequently or win against (an opponent's serve)25) to prove the falsity of:The FBI broke his alibi[/ex]26) to begin or initiate (a plan or campaign)27) to open the breech or action of (a shotgun, rifle, or revolver)28) to separate into parts or fragments, esp. suddenly and violently; shatter; burst29) to become inoperative or malfunction, as through wear or damage30) to become suddenly discontinuous or interrupted; stop abruptly31) to become detached, separated, or disassociated:to break with the past[/ex]32) to begin uttering a sound or series of sounds suddenly:to break into song[/ex]33) to express or start to express an emotion or mood, esp. suddenly:Her face broke into a smile[/ex]34) jou (of a news item) to be released, published, or aired35) to free oneself or escape suddenly, as from restraint36) to run or dash toward something suddenly (usu. fol. by for):He broke for the goal line[/ex]37) to force a way:The hunters broke through the underbrush[/ex]38) to burst or rupture:A blood vessel broke[/ex]39) to interrupt or halt an activity:Let's break for lunch[/ex]40) to appear or arrive suddenly:A deer broke into the clearing[/ex]41) to dawn:The day broke hot[/ex]42) to begin violently and suddenly:The storm broke[/ex]43) (of a storm, foul weather, etc.) to cease44) to part the surface of water, as a jumping fish or surfacing submarine45) to give way or fail, as health, strength, or spirit46) to yield or submit to pressure, torture, etc.:to break under questioning[/ex]47) (of the heart) to be overwhelmed with sorrow48) (of the voice or a musical instrument) to change harshly from one register or pitch to another49) (of the voice) to cease, waver, or change tone abruptly, esp. from emotional strain50) (of value or prices) to drop sharply and considerably51) to disperse or collapse by colliding with something:The waves broke on the shore[/ex]52) ling. phn (of a vowel) to undergo breaking53) gam to make the opening play in pool by striking the racked balls with the cue ball and causing them to scatter54) spo (of a pitched or bowled ball) to change direction:The ball broke over the plate[/ex]55) spo to leave the starting point in a race:The horses broke from the gate[/ex]56) spo (of boxers) to step back or separate from a clinch57) to take place; occur58) phv break awaya) to leave or escape, esp. suddenly or hurriedlyb) to sever connections or allegiance, as to tradition or a groupc) to start prematurely, as a horse from the starting gate59) phv break downa) to cease to functionb) to become ineffective; failc) to cause to collapse or become inoperative:to break down resistance[/ex]d) to separate into constituent partse) to lose control over one's emotions, esp. to cryf) to have a complete physical or mental collapseg) elm (of an insulator) to fail, as when subjected to excessively high voltage, permitting a current to pass60) phv break ina) to enter property by force or craftb) to train or make accustomed to a new situationc) to wear or use (something new) and thereby ease stiffness, tightness, etcd) to interrupt61) phv break intoa) to interruptb) to begin abruptlyc) to enter (a business or profession)d) to enter (property) by force62) phv break offa) to sever by breakingb) to stop suddenly; discontinue:to break off relations[/ex]63) phv break outa) to begin abruptly; arise:An epidemic broke out[/ex]b) (of a person) to manifest a skin eruptionc) pat (of certain diseases) to appear in eruptionsd) to prepare for use:to break out the parachutes[/ex]e) to take out for consumption:Let's break out the champagne[/ex]f) to escape; fleeg) to separate by or into categories64) phv break upa) to separate; scatterb) to put an end to; discontinuec) to divide or become divided into piecesd) to dissolvee) to disrupt; upset:breaking up the continuity[/ex]f) (of a personal relationship) to endg) to end a personal relationshiph) to be or cause to be overcome with laughter65) phv break withto sever relations with; separate from:to break with one's family[/ex]66) an opening made by or as if by breaking; gap67) an act or instance of breaking; separation of parts; fracture; rupture68) an interruption of continuity:a break with tradition[/ex]69) a brief rest, as from work70) a suspension of or sudden rupture in friendly relations71) an abrupt or marked change:a break in the weather[/ex]72) an attempt to escape:a prison break[/ex]73) a sudden dash or rush:Let's make a break for it![/ex]74) inf a stroke of fortune, esp. a lucky one75) a chance to improve one's lot, esp. one unlooked for or undeserved76) inf the breaks, Informal. the way things happen; fate:Those are the breaks[/ex]77) sbz a brief, scheduled interruption of a radio or television program, as for a commercial78) cvb inf relief from an unpleasant or ridiculous situation:Give me a break![/ex]79) pro a prosodic pause or caesura80) a marked change in voice quality or pitch:a break in her voice[/ex]81) mad a usu. short solo instrumental passage in jazz or popular music82) bus a sharp and considerable drop in prices83) elm an opening or discontinuity in an electronic circuit84) pri one or more blank lines between two printed paragraphs85) pri the place, after a letter, where a word is or may be divided at the end of a line86) pri breakssuspension points87) jou the point at the bottom of a column where a printed story is broken off and continued on a subsequent page88) a collapse of health, strength, or spirit; breakdown89) gam the opening play in a game of pool, in which the cue ball is shot to scatter the balls90) spo a change in direction of a pitched or bowled ball91) spo (in harness racing) an instance of a horse's changing from a trot or pace into a gallop or other step92) spo a failure to knock down all ten pins in a single frame in bowling93) spo an act or instance of stepping back or separating from a clinch in boxing94) min Mining. a fault or offset, as in a vein or bed of ore•Etymology: bef. 900; ME breken, OE brecan; c. OHG brehhan, Go brikan, akin to L frangere; see fragile break′a•ble, adj. n.
From formal English to slang. 2014.