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.’

break break a butterfly on a wheel employ disproportionate force in the achievement of an aim; the wheel here is one on which the bodies of criminals were broken as a method of execution. The phrase is first used by Pope in the line, ‘Who breaks a butterfly upon a wheel?’
break one's duck in cricket, score one's first run (in allusion to the origin of duck1 as resembling a duck's egg in shape).
break the mould make impossible the repetition of a certain type of creation; put an end to a pattern of events or behaviour by setting markedly different standards. Originally with reference to Ariosto's Orlando Furioso (1532), ‘Nature made him and then broke the mould’.

See also break the ice, it is the last straw that breaks the camel's back, sticks and stones may break my bones.

break The onset of an event, in particular the first break. A sudden onset of new energy giving rise to a noticeably different amplitude event. A time break is the shot-instant time mark on a seismic record. See also UPHOLE TIME.

break.
1. Place in the v. range where the registers change
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2. The permanent change in the male v. which occurs at puberty
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3. A term in jazz meaning an improvised solo passage, in the style of a cadenza.

break1 sever into parts. OE. brecan = OS. brekan, OHG. brehhan (G. brechen), Goth. brikan :- Gmc. *brekan; IE. base *bhreg- *bhrg-, whence also L. frangere break. The pt. brake began to be displaced in XV by broke (after the pp. broken).