Breaking definition

Breaking





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5 definitions found

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

  Break \Break\ (br[=a]k), v. t. [imp. {broke} (br[=o]k), (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, br[aum]kka to crack, Dan. br[ae]kke 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.
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     3. To lay open, as a purpose; to disclose, divulge, or
        communicate.
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              Katharine, break thy mind to me.      --Shak.
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     4. To infringe or violate, as an obligation, law, or promise.
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              Out, out, hyena! these are thy wonted arts . . .
              To break all faith, all vows, deceive, betray.
                                                    --Milton
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     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.
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              Go, release them, Ariel;
              My charms I'll break, their senses I'll restore.
                                                    --Shak.
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     6. To destroy the completeness of; to remove a part from; as,
        to break a set.
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     7. To destroy the arrangement of; to throw into disorder; to
        pierce; as, the cavalry were not able to break the British
        squares.
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     8. To shatter to pieces; to reduce to fragments.
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              The victim broke in pieces the musical instruments
              with which he had solaced the hours of captivity.
                                                    --Prescott.
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     9. To exchange for other money or currency of smaller
        denomination; as, to break a five dollar bill.
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     10. To destroy the strength, firmness, or consistency of; as,
         to break flax.
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     11. To weaken or impair, as health, spirit, or mind.
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               An old man, broken with the storms of state.
                                                    --Shak.
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     12. To diminish the force of; to lessen the shock of, as a
         fall or blow.
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               I'll rather leap down first, and break your fall.
                                                    --Dryden.
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     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.
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     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.
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               Why, then thou canst not break her to the lute?
                                                    --Shak.
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     15. To destroy the financial credit of; to make bankrupt; to
         ruin.
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               With arts like these rich Matho, when he speaks,
               Attracts all fees, and little lawyers breaks.
                                                    --Dryden.
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     16. To destroy the official character and standing of; to
         cashier; to dismiss.
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               I see a great officer broken.        --Swift.
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     Note: With prepositions or adverbs: 
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     {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.]
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     Note: With an immediate object: 
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     {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]

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

  breaking \breaking\ adj.
     1. p. pr. & vb. n. of {break}, v. i.
        [WordNet 1.5]
  
     2. (Journalism) Still happening or becoming known at the
        present time; -- used of news reports; as, breaking news;
        a breaking story.
        [PJC]

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

  breaking \break"ing\ n.
     The act of breaking something.
  
     Syn: breakage, break.
          [WordNet 1.5]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  breaking
       adj : (of waves) curling over and crashing into surf or spray;
             "the breaking waves"
       n : the act of breaking something; "the breakage was
           unavoidable" [syn: {breakage}, {break}]

From Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) [bouvier]:

  BREAKING. Parting or dividing by force and violence a solid substance, or 
  piercing, penetrating, or bursting through the same. 
       2. In cases of burglary and house-breaking, the removal, of any part of 
  the house, or of the fastenings provided to secure it, with violence and a 
  felonious intent, is called a breaking. 
       3. The breaking is actual, as in the above case; or constructive, as 
  when the burglar or house-breaker gains an entry by fraud, conspiracy or 
  threats. 2 Russ. on Cr. 2; 2 Chit. Cr. Law, 1092; 1 Hale, P. C. 553; Alis. 
  Prin. 282, 291. In England it has been decided that if the sash of a window 
  be partly open, but not sufficiently so to admit a person, the raising of it 
  so as to admit a person is not a breaking of the house. 1 Moody, Cr. Cas. 
  178. No reasons are assigned. It is difficult to conceive, if this case be 
  law, what further opening will amount to a breaking. But see 1 Moody, Cr. 
  Cas. 327, 377; and Burglary. 
  
  

















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