Collins English-English Dictionary

break [breɪk]

1. 1. n [Brit] a short period between classes at school recess

2. 2. n [tennis] service break break of serve the act or instance of breaking an opponent's service

3. 3. vb to separate or become separated into two or more pieces

   this cup is broken

4. 4. vb to damage or become damaged so as to be inoperative

   my radio is broken

5. 5. vb to crack or become cracked without separating

6. 6. vb to burst or cut the surface of (skin, etc)

7. 7. vb to discontinue or become discontinued

   they broke for lunch

   to break a journey

8. 8. vb to disperse or become dispersed

   the clouds broke

9. 9. vt. [tr] to fail to observe (an agreement, promise, law, etc)

   to break one's word

10. 10. vt. [foll by with] to discontinue an association (with)

11. 11. vt. to disclose or be disclosed

    he broke the news gently

12. 12. vt. [tr] to fracture (a bone) in (a limb, etc)

13. 13. vt. [tr] to divide (something complete or perfect)

    to break a set of books

14. 14. vt. to bring or come to an end

    the summer weather broke at last

15. 15. vt. [tr] to bring to an end by or as if by force

    to break a strike

16. 16. vt. [when intr, often foll by out] to escape (from)

    he broke jail

    he broke out of jail

17. 17. vt. to weaken or overwhelm or be weakened or overwhelmed, as in spirit

18. 18. vt. [tr] to cut through or penetrate

    a cry broke the silence

19. 19. vt. [tr] to improve on or surpass

    to break a record

20. 20. vt. [tr; often foll by in] to accustom (a horse) to the bridle and saddle, to being ridden, etc

21. 21. vt. [tr; often foll by of] to cause (a person) to give up (a habit)

    this cure will break you of smoking

22. 22. vt. [tr] to weaken the impact or force of

    this net will break his fall

23. 23. vt. [tr] to decipher

    to break a code

24. 24. vt. [tr] to lose the order of

    to break ranks

25. 25. vt. [tr] to reduce to poverty or the state of bankruptcy

26. 26. vt. [when intr, foll by into] to obtain, give, or receive smaller units in exchange for; change

    to break a pound note

27. 27. vt. [tr] [chiefly military] to demote to a lower rank

28. 28. vi. [intr; often foll by from or out of] to proceed suddenly

29. 29. vi. [intr] to come into being

    light broke over the mountains

30. 30. vi. [intr; foll by into or out into] to burst into song, laughter, etc

31. 31. vt. [tr] to open with explosives

    to break a safe

32. 32. vi. [intr] [often foll by against] to strike violently

33. 33. vi. to collapse into foam or surf

34. 34. vi. [intr] (esp of fish) to appear above the surface of the water

35. 35. vi. [intr] (of the amniotic fluid surrounding an unborn baby) to be released when the amniotic sac ruptures in the first stage of labour

    her waters have broken

36. 36. vi. [intr] [Spoken] [chiefly US] to turn out in a specified manner

    things are breaking well

37. 37. vi. [intr] (of prices, esp stock exchange quotations) to fall sharply

38. 38. vi. [intr] to make a sudden effort, as in running, horse racing, etc

39. 39. vi. [intr] [cricket] (of a ball) to change direction on bouncing

40. 40. vt. [tr] [cricket] (of a player) to knock down at least one bail from (a wicket)

41. 41. vi. [intr] [billiards] [snooker] to scatter the balls at the start of a game

42. 42. vi. [intr] [horse racing] to commence running in a race

    they broke even

43. 43. vi. [intr] [boxing] [wrestling] (of two fighters) to separate from a clinch

44. 44. vi. [intr] [music] (of the male voice) to undergo a change in register, quality, and range at puberty

45. 45. vi. (of the voice or some instruments) to undergo a change in tone, quality, etc, when changing registers

46. 46. vi. [intr] [phonetics] (of a vowel) to turn into a diphthong, esp as a development in the language

47. 47. vt. [tr] to open the breech of (certain firearms) by snapping the barrel away from the butt on its hinge

48. 48. vt. [tr] to interrupt the flow of current in (an electrical circuit) - Compare make

49. 49. vi. [intr] [Spoken] [chiefly US] to become successful; make a breakthrough

50. 50. vi. to overwork or work very hard

51. 51. n the act or result of breaking; fracture

52. 52. n a crack formed as the result of breaking

53. 53. n a brief respite or interval between two actions

    a break from one's toil

54. 54. n a sudden rush, esp to escape

    to make a break for freedom

55. 55. n a breach in a relationship

    she has made a break from her family

56. 56. n any sudden interruption in a continuous action

57. 57. n [Spoken] a fortunate opportunity, esp to prove oneself

58. 58. n [Spoken] a piece of (good or bad) luck

59. 59. n (esp in a stock exchange) a sudden and substantial decline in prices

60. 60. n [prosody] a pause in a line of verse; caesura

61. 61. n [billiards] [snooker] a series of successful shots during one turn

62. 62. n the points scored in such a series

63. 63. n [billiards] [snooker] the opening shot with the cue ball that scatters the placed balls

64. 64. n the right to take this first shot

65. 65. n one of the intervals in a sporting contest

66. 66. n [horse racing] the start of a race

    an even break

67. 67. n (in tenpin bowling) failure to knock down all the pins after the second attempt

68. 68. n [jazz] a short usually improvised solo passage

69. 69. n an instrumental passage in a pop song

70. 70. n a discontinuity in an electrical circuit

71. 71. n access to a radio channel by a citizens' band operator

72. 72. n a variant spelling of brake

73. 73. interj [boxing] [wrestling] a command by a referee for two opponents to separate

74. 74. interj See also breakaway break down break even break in break into break off break out break through break up break with

75. 75. interj [Etymology] Old English brecan; related to Old Frisian breka, Gothic brikan, Old High German brehhan, Latin frangere Sanskrit bhráj bursting forth