brake¹ /brāk/

1. A device for applying resistance to the motion of a body either to slow it down (eg a vehicle brake) or to absorb and measure the power developed by an engine, etc
2. Any means of stopping or slowing down (figurative)
3. An instrument for breaking flax or hemp
4. A harrow
5. A kind of vehicle (see break²)

To slow down or stop with, or as if with, a brake

1. To apply or operate a brake, esp on a vehicle
2. To be slowed down or stopped by a brake

brakeˈless adjective

brake block noun

A block pressed against a wheel as a brake

brake disc noun

A disc on the wheel against which the brake pads are forced in a disc brake

brake drum noun

A metal drum attached to a wheel or shaft so as to retard motion by the application of brake shoes

brakeˈ-fade noun

A decrease of efficiency in a brake sometimes resulting in complete absence of stopping-power

brake fluid noun

The fluid in a hydraulic brake system that transmits pressure from the brake pedal to the brake pistons

brake horsepower noun

The effective or useful power of a motor, measured by brake applied to the driving shaft

brake light noun

A red light at the rear of motor vehicles to warn following drivers when the brakes are applied

brake lining noun

Asbestos-base friction fabric riveted to brake shoes

brakeman see brakesman below.

brake pads plural noun

The friction material in a disc brake, corresponding to the brake shoes in a drum brake

brake parachute noun

A parachute attached to the tail of some high-performance aircraft, used as a brake for landing

brake shoe noun

The rubbing part of a brake

brakesˈman (US brakeˈman) noun

1. The man whose business it is to manage the brake of a railway train
2. The operator of a winch at a pithead

brake van noun (rail)

The carriage in which the brake is worked

brakeˈ-wheel noun

The wheel to which a brake is applied

brake² /brāk/

A thicket

brākˈy adjective

brake³ /brāk/ archaic pat of break¹

brake⁴ /brāk/

1. Fern
2. Bracken

brake⁵ /brāk/

1. A handle, as of a pump
2. A lever for working a machine

brake⁶ /brāk/ (Shakespeare)

An obscure word in Measure for Measure II.1.39 (not made clearer by emendation of ice to vice)

break¹ /brāk/

1. To divide, part or sever, wholly or partially
2. To rupture, burst
3. To shatter, crush
4. To destroy the continuity or integrity of
5. To damage (something) so that it fails to work
6. To interrupt (a fall, journey, etc)
7. To escape forcibly from (informal)
8. To make a forced entry to
9. To bruise or penetrate the surface of
10. To break a bone in, or separate the bones of
11. To overcome or wear out
12. To tame or habituate to obedience (see also break in below)
13. To crush the spirit of
14. To cure (of a habit)
15. To violate (eg a law, promise, bounds or prison)
16. To set aside (eg a will)
17. To cut up (an animal's body)
18. To unfurl
19. To decipher (a code)
20. To impart (esp with delicacy)
21. To make bankrupt
22. To demote or cashier
23. To improve on (a particular time, number of strokes, etc for a course or distance)
24. To arpeggiate (music)
25. To cause to change from a simple vowel to a diphthong (linguistics)

1. To separate
2. To come apart, or go to pieces, esp suddenly
3. To give way
4. To start away, make a sudden burst of speed
5. To disperse
6. To burst forth (usu with out)
7. To force a passage (with out or through)
8. To pass suddenly into a condition or action (eg into laughter, revolt, sweat, spots; with out)
9. (of flowers) in plant-breeding, to become variegated or striped
10. To pause for rest or refreshment
11. (of eg day, hope, a scene) to come into view, appear suddenly
12. (of news) suddenly to become generally known
13. To become bankrupt
14. (of a boy's voice at puberty) to change suddenly
15. To collapse
16. (of a wave) to burst into foam
17. To sever a connection, friendship (with)
18. (of a ball) to change direction (cricket, golf)
19. To break the balls (see below) (snooker, etc)
20. To change from a simple vowel to a diphthong under influence of a neighbouring sound (linguistics)
21. (of the weather) to change suddenly, esp after a settled period
22. (of cloud, etc) to disperse

1. An act of breaking
2. The state of being broken
3. An opening or crack
4. A discontinuity
5. A breach in a relationship
6. A pause, interval or interruption
7. A pause for rest or refreshment
8. An instrumental passage or solo in jazz or pop music
9. A consecutive series of successful strokes (snooker, croquet, etc)
10. The number of points so scored at snooker, etc
11. A continuous run of anything
12. The opening shot in snooker, billiards, etc
13. The start of a horse race
14. The deviation of a ball on striking the pitch (cricket)
15. An instance of breaking service (tennis)
16. Onset (of the monsoon)
17. A social blunder (US)
18. A chance (as in an even break)
19. A good chance, an opportunity
20. A piece of luck, good or bad

breakˈable adjective

Able to be (easily) broken

(esp in pl) an item that can be (easily) broken

breakˈableness noun

breakˈage noun

1. The act of breaking or its consequences
2. The article or quantity broken

breakˈer noun

1. A person or machine that breaks something
2. A wave broken on rocks or on the shore
3. Someone who broadcasts on Citizens' Band radio (slang)

breakˈing noun and adjective

breakˈaway noun

1. Revolt, defection
2. Withdrawal, secession
3. An escape
4. A sudden attacking movement in various sports
5. An escape
6. A stampede or stampeding animal (Aust)

adjective

Having seceded, defected, etc

breakˈback adjective

Crushing

break bad

(chiefly US sl) to turn from a moral way of life to an immoral one

breakˈbeat noun

In house music, etc, a short sample of drum beats or other rhythm taken from old soul or jazz records and repeated to make a new rhythm

breakbone fever noun

Dengue

break crop noun (agriculture)

A crop grown in rotation with cereals

breakˈdance noun

A street dance, usu to sampled music, using some routines drawn from gymnastics

To perform such a dance

breakˈdancer noun

breakˈdancing noun

breakˈdown noun

1. A stoppage through accident
2. Collapse
3. A nervous breakdown
4. Disintegration
5. A vigorous and noisy American dance
6. The sudden passage of current through an insulating material at a particular voltage (elec eng)
7. An analysis, investigation of data under different headings

adjective

Assisting after a breakdown, etc, eg breakdown truck or breakdown gang a vehicle or gang that clears and tows away a vehicle after a breakdown or wreckage after an accident

breakdown voltage noun (elec eng)

The potential difference at which breakdown (qv above) occurs

break-even see break even below.

break fee noun (finance)

A payment made by one party in a financial agreement to another in order to escape from the terms of the agreement

breakˈ-front noun and adjective

(a bookcase, wardrobe, etc) having a centre section projecting beyond the two end sections

breakˈ-in noun

An illegal (and sometimes violent) entering of a building

breaking point noun

The point at which a person, relationship, situation, etc breaks down under stress

breaking stress noun (engineering)

The stress necessary to break a material, either in tension or compression

breakˈ-jaw adjective

Very difficult to pronounce accurately

breakˈneck adjective

Headlong, very fast, usu dangerously so

break of day noun

Dawn

breakˈoff noun

A discontinuation, abrupt cessation

breakout see break out below.

break point noun

1. A point giving a player the opportunity to break service (tennis)
2. (also breakˈpoint) a point at which a computer program will stop running to allow checking, etc

breakˈ-promise or breakˈ-vow noun (both Shakespeare)

A person who habitually breaks promises or vows

breakˈthrough noun

1. A forcible passage through a barrier
2. The solving of a problem, esp scientific, after much effort, opening the way to further developments
3. Any comparable success

breakthrough bleeding noun

Intermittent discharge of blood from the uterus between menstrual periods

breakˈtime noun

(at school, etc) recess, break between work periods

breakˈ-up noun

1. Dissolution
2. Dispersal
3. An ending of a relationship

break-vow see break-promise above.

breakˈwater noun

A barrier against the force of the waves

breakˈ-wind noun

A windbreak

break a jest

To make a jest, crack a joke

break a lance with

To enter into a contest with

break a leg (theatre)

A phrase used to wish someone good luck

break a record see under record

break a strike see under strike

break away

1. To make a breakaway
2. To be scattered, as clouds after a storm

break bread

1. To have a meal (with)
2. To administer or take part in Holy Communion (Christianity)

break bulk

1. To open the hold and take out a portion of the cargo
2. To begin to use goods supplied in bulk

break camp

To dismantle and pack one's tents, etc

break cover

1. (of eg a fox) to burst out from concealment
2. To come out of hiding

break down

1. To demolish
2. To crush
3. To collapse
4. To be overwhelmed by one's emotions
5. To suffer a nervous breakdown
6. To fail completely
7. To analyse

break even

1. To avoid making a loss but fail to make a profit
2. To reach the point at which revenue equals costs (breakˈeven noun and adjective)

break forth

To burst out, issue

break free see break loose below.

break ground see under ground¹

break in

1. (also break) to tame or accustom (an animal) to obedience
2. To make (shoes, etc) less stiff by use

break in, in on or into

1. To enter violently
2. To interpose abruptly

breaking and entering

Housebreaking, illegal entry into property

break into

1. To begin to use up or spend (something held in reserve, a large denomination note, etc)
2. To begin an activity suddenly, eg song, laughter

break it down (Aust inf)

Stop it!

break loose or free

1. To extricate oneself forcibly
2. To break through all restraint

break no squares

To make no difference, do no harm, matter little

break off

1. To detach by breaking
2. To put an abrupt end to
3. To leave off or stop abruptly

break one's mind (obsolete)

To communicate one's thoughts to someone

break out

1. To appear suddenly
2. To break through all restraint
3. To escape (breakˈout noun)
4. To become active suddenly
5. To become covered with (a rash, etc; with in)

break service or break someone's serve (tennis, etc)

To win a game in which one's opponent is serving

break sheer

(of a ship riding at anchor) to be forced by wind or tide out of a position clear of the anchor

break someone's heart

To crush someone emotionally, esp by failing them in love

break the balls (or simply break)

1. To open the game by striking one of the red balls (snooker)
2. To open the game by striking the red ball or giving a miss, or to continue the game this way when a similar position occurs (billiards)

break the ice (figurative)

To get through first difficulties, esp restraint on first meeting

break through

To make a breakthrough

break up

1. To break open
2. To break in pieces
3. To go to pieces
4. To put an end to
5. To disperse, to part
6. To end a relationship
7. (of a school) to close for the holidays
8. To dig or plough up
9. To disconcert or upset (informal)
10. To make helpless with laughter (informal)

break upon the wheel (historical)

To punish by stretching on a wheel and breaking the bones

break wind

To let out flatulence from the bowels

break with

1. To cease relations with, esp to quarrel with
2. To cease adherence to (tradition, a habit)

make a break for

To bolt towards

break² or brake /brāk/

1. A long wagonette
2. A carriage frame that is all wheels and no body, used in breaking in horses
3. An estate car

• hoveringly
• jealoushood
• jealoushoods
• jealousies
• jealousing
• jealously
• jealousness
• jealousnesses
• jealousy
• Jeames
• jean
• jeanette
• jeanettes
• jeans
• jeat
• jebel
• jebels
• Jebusite
• Jebusitic
• Jeddart
• Jeddart justice
• Jeddart staff
• jee
• jeed
• jeeing