Noun
an escape from jail; "the breakout was carefully planned"

Noun
any frame in which a bowler fails to make a strike or spare; "the break in the eighth frame cost him the match"

Noun
a sudden dash; "he made a break for the open door"

Noun
the act of breaking something; "the breakage was unavoidable"

Noun
an act of delaying or interrupting the continuity; "it was presented without commercial breaks"

Noun
(tennis) a score consisting of winning a game when your opponent was serving; "he was up two breaks in the second set"

Noun
the opening shot that scatters the balls in billiards or pool

Noun
a pause from doing something (as work); "we took a 10-minute break"; "he took time out to recuperate"

Noun
a personal or social separation (as between opposing factions); "they hoped to avoid a break in relations"

Noun
an unexpected piece of good luck; "he finally got his big break"

Noun
the occurrence of breaking; "the break in the dam threatened the valley"

Noun
some abrupt occurrence that interrupts; "the telephone is an annoying interruption"; "there was a break in the action when a player was hurt"

Noun
(geology) a crack in the earth''s crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other; "they built it right over a geological fault"

Noun
breaking of hard tissue such as bone; "it was a nasty fracture"; "the break seems to have been caused by a fall"

Noun
a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something

Verb
weaken or destroy in spirit or body; "His resistance was broken"; "a man broken by the terrible experience of near-death"

Verb
diminish or discontinue abruptly; "The patient''s fever broke last night"

Verb
fracture a bone of; "I broke my foot while playing hockey"

Verb
fall sharply; "stock prices broke"

Verb
make submissive, obedient, or useful; "The horse was tough to break"; "I broke in the new intern"

Verb
be broken in; "If the new teacher won''t break, we''ll add some stress"

Verb
of the male voice in puberty; "his voice is breaking--he should no longer sing in the choir"

Verb
render inoperable or ineffective; "You broke the alarm clock when you took it apart!"

Verb
become separated into pieces or fragments; "The figurine broke"; "The freshly baked loaf fell apart"

Verb
destroy the integrity of; usually by force; cause to separate into pieces or fragments; "He broke the glass plate"; "She broke the match"

Verb
become fractured; break or crack on the surface only; "The glass cracked when it was heated"

Verb
happen; "Report the news as it develops"; "These political movements recrudesce from time to time"

Verb
prevent completion; "stop the project"; "break off the negociations"

Verb
terminate; "She interrupted her pregnancy"; "break a lucky streak"; "break the cycle of poverty"

Verb
lessen in force or effect; "soften a shock"; "break a fall"

Verb
stop operating or functioning; "The engine finally went"; "The car died on the road"; "The bus we travelled in broke down on the way to town"; "The coffee maker broke"; "The engine failed on the way to town"; "her eyesight went after the accident"

Verb
change suddenly from one tone quality or register to another; "Her voice broke to a whisper when she started to talk about her children"

Verb
come into being; "light broke over the horizon"; "Voices broke in the air"

Verb
find the solution or key to; "break the code"

Verb
find a flaw in; "break an alibi"; "break down a proof"

Verb
undergo breaking; "The simple vowels broke in many Germanic languages"

Verb
interrupt the flow of current in; "break a circuit"

Verb
cease an action temporarily; "We pause for station identification"; "let''s break for lunch"

Verb
make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret; "The auction house would not disclose the price at which the van Gogh had sold"; "The actress won''t reveal how old she is"; "bring

Verb
be released or become known; of news; "News of her death broke in the morning"

Verb
surpass in excellence; "She bettered her own record"; "break a record"

Verb
pierce or penetrate; "The blade broke her skin"

Verb
become punctured or penetrated; "The skin broke"

Verb
break a piece from a whole; "break a branch from a tree"

Verb
go to pieces; "The lawn mower finally broke"; "The gears wore out"; "The old chair finally fell apart completely"

Verb
ruin completely; "He busted my radio!"

Verb
separate from a clinch, in boxing; "The referee broke the boxers"

Verb
make the opening shot that scatters the balls

Verb
destroy the completeness of a set of related items; "The book dealer would not break the set"

Verb
exchange for smaller units of money; "I had to break a $100 bill just to buy the candy"

Verb
force out or release suddenly and often violently something pent up; "break into tears"; "erupt in anger"

Verb
do a break dance; "Kids were break-dancing at the street corner"

Verb
curl over and fall apart in surf or foam, of waves; "The surf broke"

Verb
break down, literally or metaphorically; "The wall collapsed"; "The business collapsed"; "The dam broke"; "The roof collapsed"; "The wall gave in"; "The roof finally gave under the weight of the ice"

Verb
emerge from the surface of a body of water; "The whales broke"

Verb
scatter or part; "The clouds broke after the heavy downpour"

Verb
make a rupture in the ranks of the enemy or one''s own by quitting or fleeing; "The ranks broke"

Verb
move away or escape suddenly; "The horses broke from the stable"; "Three inmates broke jail"; "Nobody can break out--this prison is high security"

Verb
change directions suddenly

Verb
reduce to bankruptcy; "My daughter''s fancy wedding is going to break me!"; "The slump in the financial markets smashed him"

Verb
assign to a lower position; reduce in rank; "She was demoted because she always speaks up"; "He was broken down to Sargeant"

Verb
discontinue an association or relation; go different ways; "The business partners broke over a tax question"; "The couple separated after 25 years of marriage"; "My friend and I split up"

Verb
invalidate by judicial action; "The will was broken"

Verb
interrupt a continued activity; "She had broken with the traditional patterns"

Verb
cause the failure or ruin of; "His peccadilloes finally broke his marriage"; "This play will either make or break the playwright"

Verb
act in disregard of laws and rules; "offend all laws of humanity"; "violate the basic laws or human civilization"; "break a law"

Verb
enter someone''s property in an unauthorized manner, usually with the intent to steal or commit a violent act; "Someone broke in while I was on vacation"; "They broke into my car and stole my radio!"

Verb
happen or take place; "Things have been breaking pretty well for us in the past few months"

Verb
come forth or begin from a state of latency; "The first winter storm broke over New York"

Verb
fail to agree with; be in violation of; as of rules or patterns; "This sentence violates the rules of syntax"

Verb
give up; "break cigarette smoking"

Verb
cause to give up a habit; "She finally broke herself of smoking cigarettes"

Verb
vary or interrupt a uniformity or continuity; "The flat plain was broken by tall mesas"

Verb
come to an end; "The heat wave finally broke yesterday"

v. t.
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.

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

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

v. t.
To infringe or violate, as an obligation, law, or promise.

v. t.
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.

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

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

v. t.
To shatter to pieces; to reduce to fragments.

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

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

v. t.
To weaken or impair, as health, spirit, or mind.

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

v. t.
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.

v. t.
To tame; to reduce to subjection; to make tractable; to discipline; as, to break a horse to the harness or saddle.

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

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

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

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

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

v. i.
To burst forth violently, as a storm.

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

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

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

v. i.
To fall in business; to become bankrupt.

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

v. i.
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.

v. i.
To fall out; to terminate friendship.

v. t.
An opening made by fracture or disruption.

v. t.
An interruption of continuity; change of direction; as, a break in a wall; a break in the deck of a ship.

v. t.
A projection or recess from the face of a building.

v. t.
An opening or displacement in the circuit, interrupting the electrical current.

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

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

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

v. t.
A large four-wheeled carriage, having a straight body and calash top, with the driver's seat in front and the footman's behind.

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

n.
See Commutator.

Break

Katharine, break thy mind to me.

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

Go, release them, Ariel;

My charms I'll break, their senses I'll restore.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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

I see a great officer broken.

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.] 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 ∨ 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 break 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.

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

The day begins to break, and night is fied.

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

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.

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

At length the darkness begins to break.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

-- 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; 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.

-- To break into, to enter by breaking; as, -- 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 , 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 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.

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.

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.

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