breach / brēch/ • n. 1. an act of breaking or failing to observe a law, agreement, or code of conduct: a breach of confidence I sued for breach of contract. ∎  a break in relations: a sudden breach between father and son.2. a gap in a wall, barrier, or defense, esp. one made by an attacking army.• v. [tr.] 1. make a gap in and break through (a wall, barrier, or defense): the river breached its bank. ∎  break or fail to observe (a law, agreement, or code of conduct).2. [intr.] (of a whale) rise and break through the surface of the water.PHRASES: breach of promise the action of breaking a sworn assurance to do something, formerly esp. to marry someone.

Breach ★★½ 2007 (PG-13)

Somber true story follows ambitious FBI agent Eric O'Neill (Phillippe), who's planted by tough boss Kate Burroughs (Linney) as the new assistant to veteran agent Robert Hanssen (Cooper). She says the bureau is worried because Hanssen is a perv, but he's actually been selling info to the Russians and the feds want to catch him in the act. Hanssen starts getting suspicious, which ratchets up the tension, but there's never any clear idea of why he turned traitor, although Cooper is a creepily effective enigma. 110m/C DVD, HD DVD . US Chris Cooper, Ryan Phillippe, Laura Linney, Dennis Haysbert, Caroline Dhavernas, Gary Cole, Bruce Davison, Kathleen Quinlan; D: Billy Ray; W: Billy Ray, Adam Mazer, William Rotko; C: Tak Fujimoto; M: Mychael Danna.

breach breaking XIV; gap in a fortification XV. — (O)F. brèche :- Gallo-Rom. *brecca — Frankish *breka, f. *brek- BREAK1; cf. OHG. brecha.

breach breach of promise the action of breaking a sworn assurance to do something, formerly especially to marry someone.
breach of the peace an act of violent or noisy behaviour that causes a public disturbance and is considered a criminal offence.