English English Dictionary

To be crushed, or overwhelmed with sorrow or grief; as, my heart is breaking.

To fall in business; to become bankrupt.

To make an abrupt or sudden change; to change the gait; as, to break into a run or gallop.

To fail in musical quality; as, a singer's voice breaks when it is strained beyond its compass and a tone or note is not completed, but degenerates into an unmusical sound instead. Also, to change in tone, as a boy's voice at puberty.

To fall out; to terminate friendship.

An opening made by fracture or disruption.

An interruption of continuity; change of direction; as, a break in a wall; a break in the deck of a ship.

A projection or recess from the face of a building.

An opening or displacement in the circuit, interrupting the electrical current.

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

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.

To lay open as by breaking; to divide; as, to break a package of goods.

To lay open, as a purpose; to disclose, divulge, or communicate.

To infringe or violate, as an obligation, law, or promise.

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.

To destroy the completeness of; to remove a part from; as, to break a set.

To destroy the arrangement of; to throw into disorder; to pierce; as, the cavalry were not able to break the British squares.

To shatter to pieces; to reduce to fragments.

An interruption; a pause; as, a break in friendship; a break in the conversation.

The first appearing, as of light in the morning; the dawn; as, the break of day; the break of dawn.