break

1. 1

   To separate into two or more pieces, to fracture or crack, by a process that cannot easily be reversed for reassembly.ergativeintransitivetransitive

   • If the vase falls to the floor, it might break.
   • In order to tend to the accident victim, he will break the window of the car.
2. 2

   To separate into two or more pieces, to fracture or crack, by a process that cannot easily be reversed for reassembly.; To crack or fracture (bone) under a physical strain.ergativeintransitivetransitive

   • His ribs broke under the weight of the rocks piled on his chest.
   • He slipped on the ice and broke his leg.
3. 3

   To separate into two or more pieces, to fracture or crack, by a process that cannot easily be reversed for reassembly.; To make the first shot; to scatter the balls from the initial neat arrangement.ergativeintransitivetransitive

   • Is it your or my turn to break?
4. 4

   To separate into two or more pieces, to fracture or crack, by a process that cannot easily be reversed for reassembly.; To divide (something, often money) into smaller units.ergativefigurativelyintransitive

   • Can you break a hundred-dollar bill for me?
   • The wholesaler broke the container loads into palettes and boxes for local retailers.
5. 5

   To separate into two or more pieces, to fracture or crack, by a process that cannot easily be reversed for reassembly.; To divide (something, often money) into smaller units.ergativefigurativelyintransitive

   • I don't want to break my hundred dollar bill.
6. 6

   To separate into two or more pieces, to fracture or crack, by a process that cannot easily be reversed for reassembly.; To change the orderliness or compactness of an arrangement.ergativeintransitivetransitive

   • The soldier broke formation.
7. 7

   To separate into two or more pieces, to fracture or crack, by a process that cannot easily be reversed for reassembly.; To disrupt the surface of and turn over the body of a substance.ergativeintransitivetransitive

   • You have to break the soil with the ho.
8. 8

   To cause (a person or animal) to lose spirit or will; to crush the spirits of.transitive

   • Her child’s death broke Angela.
   • Interrogators have used many forms of torture to break prisoners of war.
9. 9

   To cause (a person or animal) to lose spirit or will; to crush the spirits of.; To be crushed, or overwhelmed with sorrow or grief.intransitivetransitive

   • My heart is breaking.
10. 10

    To cause (a person or animal) to lose spirit or will; to crush the spirits of.; To turn an animal into a beast of burden.transitive

    • You have to break an elephant before you can use it as an animal of burden.

syn. burst · bust · shatter · shear · smash · split · bisect · fracture · subject · tame · go against · violate

ant. assemble · fix · join · mend · put together · repair · hold

1. 1

   An instance of breaking something into two or more pieces.

   • The femur has a clean break and so should heal easily.
2. 2

   A physical space that opens up in something or between two things.

   • The sun came out in a break in the clouds.
   • He waited minutes for a break in the traffic to cross the highway.
3. 3

   An interruption of continuity; departure from or rupture with something.

   • Work commenced at 2.30 p.m. on Saturday and continued without break until 4 a.m. on Monday morning, in the course of which three shifts of upwards of 90 men each and three steam cranes were employed.
4. 4

   A rest or pause, usually from work.

   • Let’s take a five-minute break.
   • be on break
5. 5

   A rest or pause, usually from work.; A time for students to talk or play between lessons.UK

   • It was playtime - or rather ‘break’ - and I had brazenly joined in a game of football on the school parade ground.
6. 6

   A rest or pause, usually from work.; A scheduled interval of days or weeks between periods of school instruction; a holiday.

   • winter break, spring break
7. 7

   A short holiday.

   • a weekend break on the Isle of Wight
8. 8

   A temporary split with a romantic partner.

   • I think we need a break.
9. 9

   An interval or intermission between two parts of a performance, for example a theatre show, broadcast, or sports game.

   • But they marginally improved after the break as Didier Drogba hit the post.
10. 10

    A significant change in circumstance, attitude, perception, or focus of attention.

    • big break
    • lucky break, bad break

1. 1

   A section of extended repetition of the percussion break to a song, created by a hip-hop DJ as rhythmic dance music.

   • The smooth criminal on beat breaks / Never put me in your box if your shit eats tapes

1. 1

   To B-boy; to breakdance.slang

   • Let the poppers pop and the breakers break / We're cool, cool cats, it's like that
2. 2

   To brake.rare

   • Breaking heavily, now on a 1 in 39 gradient, the train makes as if to cross the Tamar at once, only to swing sharply to the right, […].