break / brāk/ • v. (past broke / brōk/ ; past part. brok·en / ˈbrōkən/ ) 1. separate or cause to separate into pieces as a result of a blow, shock, or strain: [intr.] the rope broke with a loud snap [tr.] windows in the street were broken by the blast. ∎  [tr.] (of a person or animal) sustain an injury involving the fracture of a bone or bones in (a part of the body): she had broken her leg in two places. ∎  [tr.] sustain such an injury to (a bone in the body). ∎  [intr.] (of a part of the body or a bone) sustain a fracture: what if his leg had broken? ∎  [tr.] cause a cut or graze in (the skin): the bite had scarcely broken the skin. ∎  make or become inoperative: [intr.] the machine has broken, and they can't fix it until next week [tr.] he's broken the video. ∎  (of the amniotic fluid surrounding a fetus) be or cause to be discharged when the sac is ruptured in the first stages of labor: [intr.] she realized her water had broken. ∎  [tr.] open (a safe) forcibly. ∎  [tr.] use (a piece of paper currency) to pay for something and receive change out of the transaction: she had to break a ten. ∎  [tr.] exchange (a piece of paper currency of large denomination) for the same amount in smaller denominations. ∎  [intr.] (of two boxers or wrestlers) come out of a clinch, typically at the referee's command: I was acting as referee and telling them to break. ∎  [tr.] succeed in deciphering (a code). ∎  [tr.] open (a shotgun or rifle) at the breech.2. [tr.] interrupt (a continuity, sequence, or course): the new government broke the pattern of growth his concentration was broken by a sound. ∎  put an end to (a silence) by speaking or making contact. ∎  make a pause in (a journey). ∎  [intr.] stop proceedings in order to have a pause or vacation: at mid-morning they broke for coffee. ∎  lessen the impact of (a fall): she put out an arm to break her fall. ∎  stop oneself from being subject to (a habit). ∎  put an end to (a tie in a game) by making a score. ∎  [intr.] (chiefly of an attacking player or team, or of a military force) make a rush or dash in a particular direction: the flight broke to the right and formed a defensive circle. ∎  surpass (a record): the movie broke box-office records. ∎  disconnect or interrupt (an electrical circuit). ∎  [intr.] Sports (of a pitched or bowled ball) swerve or dip in direction. ∎  [intr.] Soccer (of the ball) rebound unpredictably: the ball broke to Craig but his shot rebounded from the post.3. [tr.] fail to observe (a law, regulation, or agreement): the district attorney says she will prosecute retailers who break the law a legally binding contract that can only be broken by mutual consent.4. [tr.] crush the emotional strength, spirit, or resistance of: the idea was to better the prisoners, not to break them. ∎  [intr.] (of a person's emotional strength) give way: her self-control finally broke. ∎  destroy the power of (a movement or organization). ∎  destroy the effectiveness of (a strike), typically by bringing in other people to replace the striking workers. ∎  tame or train (a horse).5. [intr.] undergo a change or enter a new state, in particular: ∎  (of the weather) change suddenly: the weather broke, and thunder rumbled through a leaden sky. ∎  (of a storm) begin violently. ∎  (of dawn or day) begin with the sun rising: dawn was just breaking. ∎  (of clouds) move apart and begin to disperse. ∎  (of waves) curl over and dissolve into foam: the Caribbean sea breaking gently on the shore. ∎  (of a pitched baseball) curve or drop on its way toward the batter. ∎  (of the voice) falter and change tone, due to emotion: her voice broke as she relived the experience. ∎  (of a boy's voice) change in tone and register at puberty. ∎  (of prices on the stock exchange) fall sharply. ∎  (of news or a scandal) suddenly become public: since the news broke I've received thousands of wonderful letters. ∎  [tr.] (break something to someone) make bad news known to someone. ∎  make the first stroke at the beginning of a game of billiards, pool, or snooker.• n. 1. an interruption of continuity or uniformity: the magazine has been published without a break since 1950. ∎  an act of separating oneself from a state of affairs: a break with the past. ∎  a change in the weather. ∎  a change of line, paragraph, or page: dotted lines on the screen show page breaks. ∎  a curve or drop in the path of a pitched baseball. ∎  a change of tone in the voice due to emotion: there was a break in her voice now. ∎  an interruption in an electrical circuit. ∎  a rush or dash in a particular direction, esp. by an attacking player or team: he made a bounce pass for a basket on the break in the second quarter. ∎  a breakout, esp. from prison. ∎  a sudden decrease, typically in prices. ∎ inf. an opportunity or chance, esp. one leading to professional success: his big break came when a critic gave him a rave review. ∎  (also break of serve) Tennis the winning of a game against an opponent's serve.2. a pause in work: they take long coffee breaks. ∎  a short vacation: the Christmas break.3. a gap or opening: the spectacular vistas occasionally offered by a break in the rain forest he stopped to wait for a break in the traffic.4. an instance of breaking; the point where something is broken: a break in the valve was being repaired.5. Billiards a player's turn to make the opening shot of a game or a rack.PHRASES: break the back of do the hardest part of (a task): we've broken the back of the problem. ∎  overwhelm or defeat: I thought we really had broken the back of inflation.break a leg! theatrical slang good luck!break of day dawn.break (someone's) serve (or service) win a game in a tennis match against an opponent's service.break wind release gas from the anus.give someone a break [usu. in imper.] inf. stop putting pressure on someone about something. ∎  (give me a break) used to express contemptuous disagreement or disbelief about what has been said: He's seven times as quick and he's only 20 years old. Give me a break.make a break for make a sudden dash in the direction of, typically in a bid to escape: he made a break for the door.make a clean break remove oneself completely and finally from a situation or relationship.PHRASAL VERBS: break away (of a person) escape from someone's hold. ∎  escape from the control of a person, group, or practice: an attempt to break away from the elitism that has dominated the book trade. ∎  (of a competitor in a race) move into the lead. ∎  (of a material or object) become detached from its base, typically through decay or under force.break down1. (of a machine or motor vehicle) suddenly cease to function: his van broke down. ∎  (of a person) have the vehicle they are driving cease to function: she broke down on the highway. ∎  (of a relationship, agreement, or process) cease to continue; collapse: pay negotiations with management broke down. ∎  lose control of one's emotions when in a state of distress: if she had tried to utter a word, she would have broken down. ∎  (of a person's health or emotional control) fail or collapse: his health broke down under the strain of overwork.2. undergo chemical decomposition: waste products that break down into low-level toxic materials.break something down1. demolish a door or other barrier: they had to get the police to break the door down fig. race barriers can be broken down by educational reform. 2. separate something into parts: each tutorial is broken down into more manageable units. ∎  analyze information: bar graphs show how the information can be broken down. ∎  convert a substance into simpler compounds by chemical action: almost every natural substance can be broken down by bacteria.break even reach a point in a business venture when the profits are equal to the costs.break forth burst out suddenly; emerge.break freeanother way of saying break away.break in1. force entry to a building: it sounded like someone trying to break in.2. [with direct speech] interject: “I don't want to interfere,” Mrs. Hendry broke in.break someone in familiarize someone with a new job or situation: there was no time to break in a new executive assistant. ∎  (break a horse) accustom a horse to a saddle and bridle, and to being ridden.break something in wear something, typically a pair of new shoes, until it becomes supple and comfortable.break into1. enter or open a (place, vehicle, or container) forcibly, typically for the purposes of theft: four men broke into the house. ∎  succeed in winning a share of (a market or a position in a profession): Japanese companies failed to break into the U.S. personal-computer market.2. (of a person) suddenly or unexpectedly burst forth into (laughter or song). ∎  (of a person's face or mouth) relax into (a smile).3. change one's pace to (a faster one): Greg broke into a sprint.break off become severed: the fuselage had broken off just behind the pilot's seat. ∎  abruptly stop talking: she broke off, stifling a sob.break something off remove something from a larger unit or whole: Tucker broke off a piece of bread. ∎  discontinue talks or relations: the U.S. threatened to break off diplomatic relations.break out (of war, fighting, or similarly undesirable things) start suddenly: forest fires have broken out across Indonesia. ∎  (of a physical discomfort) suddenly manifest itself: prickles of sweat had broken out along her backbone.break out in (of a person or a part of their body) be suddenly affected by an unpleasant sensation or condition: something had caused him to break out in a rash.break something out inf. open and start using something: it was time to break out the champagne.break through make or force a way through (a barrier): demonstrators attempted to break through the police lines the sun might break through in a few spots. ∎ fig. (of a person) achieve success in a particular area: so many talented players are struggling to break through.break up disintegrate; disperse: the bones had broken up into minute fragments. ∎  (of a gathering) disband; end. ∎  (of a couple in a relationship) part company. ∎  start laughing uncontrollably: the whole cast broke up. ∎  become emotionally upset.break someone up cause someone to become extremely upset.break something up cause something to separate into pieces, parts, or sections: break up the chocolate, and place it in a bowl he intends to break the company up into strategic business units. ∎  bring a social event or meeting to an end by being the first person to leave: Richard was sorry to break up the party. ∎  disperse or put an end to a gathering: police broke up a demonstration in the capital.break with quarrel or cease relations with (someone): he had broken with his family long before. ∎  act in a way that is not in accordance with (a custom or tradition).ORIGIN: Old English brecan (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch breken and German brechen, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin frangere ‘to break.’