[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

break \break\ br=ak, v. t. imp. broke br=ok, obs.
   brake; p. p. broken br=o"k'n, obs. broke; p. pr.
    vb. n. breaking. oe. breken, as. brecan; akin to os.
   brekan, d. breken, ohg. brehhan, g. brechen, icel. braka to
   creak, sw. braka, braumkka to crack, dan. braekke to
   break, goth. brikan to break, l. frangere. cf. bray to
   pound, breach, fragile.
   1. to strain apart; to sever by fracture; to divide with
      violence; as, to break a rope or chain; to break a seal;
      to break an axle; to break rocks or coal; to break a lock.
      --shak.
      1913 webster

   2. to lay open as by breaking; to divide; as, to break a
      package of goods.
      1913 webster

   3. to lay open, as a purpose; to disclose, divulge, or
      communicate.
      1913 webster

            katharine, break thy mind to me.      --shak.
      1913 webster

   4. to infringe or violate, as an obligation, law, or promise.
      1913 webster

            out, out, hyena these are thy wonted arts . . .
            to break all faith, all vows, deceive, betray.
                                                  --milton
      1913 webster

   5. to interrupt; to destroy the continuity of; to dissolve or
      terminate; as, to break silence; to break one's sleep; to
      break one's journey.
      1913 webster

            go, release them, ariel;
            my charms i'll break, their senses i'll restore.
                                                  --shak.
      1913 webster

   6. to destroy the completeness of; to remove a part from; as,
      to break a set.
      1913 webster

   7. to destroy the arrangement of; to throw into disorder; to
      pierce; as, the cavalry were not able to break the british
      squares.
      1913 webster

   8. to shatter to pieces; to reduce to fragments.
      1913 webster

            the victim broke in pieces the musical instruments
            with which he had solaced the hours of captivity.
                                                  --prescott.
      1913 webster

   9. to exchange for other money or currency of smaller
      denomination; as, to break a five dollar bill.
      1913 webster

   10. to destroy the strength, firmness, or consistency of; as,
       to break flax.
       1913 webster

   11. to weaken or impair, as health, spirit, or mind.
       1913 webster

             an old man, broken with the storms of state.
                                                  --shak.
       1913 webster

   12. to diminish the force of; to lessen the shock of, as a
       fall or blow.
       1913 webster

             i'll rather leap down first, and break your fall.
                                                  --dryden.
       1913 webster

   13. to impart, as news or information; to broach; -- with to,
       and often with a modified word implying some reserve; as,
       to break the news gently to the widow; to break a purpose
       cautiously to a friend.
       1913 webster

   14. to tame; to reduce to subjection; to make tractable; to
       discipline; as, to break a horse to the harness or
       saddle. "to break a colt." --spenser.
       1913 webster

             why, then thou canst not break her to the lute?
                                                  --shak.
       1913 webster

   15. to destroy the financial credit of; to make bankrupt; to
       ruin.
       1913 webster

             with arts like these rich matho, when he speaks,
             attracts all fees, and little lawyers breaks.
                                                  --dryden.
       1913 webster

   16. to destroy the official character and standing of; to
       cashier; to dismiss.
       1913 webster

             i see a great officer broken.        --swift.
       1913 webster

   note: with prepositions or adverbs: 
         1913 webster

   to break down.
       a to crush; to overwhelm; as, to break down one's
           strength; to break down opposition.
       b to remove, or open a way through, by breaking; as, to
           break down a door or wall.

   to break in.
       a to force in; as, to break in a door.
       b to train; to discipline; as, a horse well broken in.
           

   to break of, to rid of; to cause to abandon; as, to break
      one of a habit.

   to break off.
       a to separate by breaking; as, to break off a twig.
       b to stop suddenly; to abandon. "break off thy sins by
           righteousness." --dan. iv. 27.

   to break open, to open by breaking. "open the door, or i
      will break it open." --shak.

   to break out, to take or force out by breaking; as, to
      break out a pane of glass.

   to break out a cargo, to unstow a cargo, so as to unload it
      easily.

   to break through.
       a to make an opening through, as, as by violence or the
           force of gravity; to pass violently through; as, to
           break through the enemy's lines; to break through the
           ice.
       b to disregard; as, to break through the ceremony.

   to break up.
       a to separate into parts; to plow new or fallow
           ground. "break up this capon." --shak. "break up
           your fallow ground." --jer. iv. 3.
       b to dissolve; to put an end to. "break up the court."
           --shak.

   to break one all up, to unsettle or disconcert
      completely; to upset. colloq.
      1913 webster

   note: with an immediate object: 
         1913 webster

   to break the back.
       a to dislocate the backbone; hence, to disable totally.
       b to get through the worst part of; as, to break the
           back of a difficult undertaking.

   to break bulk, to destroy the entirety of a load by
      removing a portion of it; to begin to unload; also, to
      transfer in detail, as from boats to cars.

   to break a code to discover a method to convert coded
      messages into the original understandable text.

   to break cover, to burst forth from a protecting
      concealment, as game when hunted.

   to break a deer or to break a stag, to cut it up and
      apportion the parts among those entitled to a share.

   to break fast, to partake of food after abstinence. see
      breakfast.

   to break ground.
       a to open the earth as for planting; to commence
           excavation, as for building, siege operations, and
           the like; as, to break ground for a foundation, a
           canal, or a railroad.
       b fig.: to begin to execute any plan.
       c naut. to release the anchor from the bottom.

   to break the heart, to crush or overwhelm one with grief.
      

   to break a house law, to remove or set aside with
      violence and a felonious intent any part of a house or of
      the fastenings provided to secure it.

   to break the ice, to get through first difficulties; to
      overcome obstacles and make a beginning; to introduce a
      subject.

   to break jail, to escape from confinement in jail, usually
      by forcible means.

   to break a jest, to utter a jest. "patroclus . . . the
      livelong day breaks scurril jests." --shak.

   to break joints, to lay or arrange bricks, shingles, etc.,
      so that the joints in one course shall not coincide with
      those in the preceding course.

   to break a lance, to engage in a tilt or contest.

   to break the neck, to dislocate the joints of the neck.

   to break no squares, to create no trouble. obs.

   to break a path, road, etc., to open a way through
      obstacles by force or labor.

   to break upon a wheel, to execute or torture, as a criminal
      by stretching him upon a wheel, and breaking his limbs
      with an iron bar; -- a mode of punishment formerly
      employed in some countries.

   to break wind, to give vent to wind from the anus.
      1913 webster

   syn: to dispart; rend; tear; shatter; batter; violate;
        infringe; demolish; destroy; burst; dislocate.
        1913 webster
see also:
broke brake broken broke breaking bray 
breach fragile to break down to break in to break of 
to break off to break open to break out to break out a cargo to break through 
to break up to break all up to break the back to break bulk 
to break a code to break cover to break a deer to break a stag to break fast 
breakfast to break ground to break the heart to break a house to break the ice 
to break jail to break a jest to break joints to break a lance to break the neck 
to break no squares to break a path road to break upon a wheel to break wind 

Break >> B Words
Break, definition of term: Break
break_pag1.html

Break Out >> B Words
Break Out, definition of term: Break Out
break+out_pag1.html

Break Through >> B Words
Break Through, definition of term: Break Through
break+through_pag1.html

Break Up >> B Words
Break Up, definition of term: Break Up
break+up_pag1.html

Break Wind >> B Words
Break Wind, definition of term: Break Wind
break+wind_pag1.html

Break Off >> B Words
Break Off, definition of term: Break Off
break+off_pag1.html

Break Even >> B Words
Break Even, definition of term: Break Even
break+even_pag1.html

Break Apart >> B Words
Break Apart, definition of term: Break Apart
break+apart_pag1.html

Break Away >> B Words
Break Away, definition of term: Break Away
break+away_pag1.html

Break Bread >> B Words
Break Bread, definition of term: Break Bread
break+bread_pag1.html

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