some abrupt occurrence that interrupts an ongoing activity
"the telephone is an annoying interruption"
"there was a break in the action when a player was hurt"
a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something
"We need to take a quick break from our intense workout session to rehydrate and stretch our muscles."
an abrupt change in the tone or register of the voice (as at puberty or due to emotion)
"then there was a break in her voice"
the opening shot that scatters the balls in billiards or pool
"After a tense moment of silence, the champion stepped up to the table for his crucial break to scatter the balls across the felt."
(tennis) a score consisting of winning a game when your opponent was serving
"he was up two breaks in the second set"
an act of delaying or interrupting the continuity
"it was presented without commercial breaks"
"there was a gap in his account"
any frame in which a bowler fails to make a strike or spare
"the break in the eighth frame cost him the match"
an escape from jail
"the breakout was carefully planned"
An instance of breaking something into two or more pieces.
"The crowd went wild when the DJ dropped another heavy percussion break into the mix."
A section of extended repetition of the percussion break to a song, created by a hip-hop DJ as rhythmic dance music.
In plain English: A break is a short period of time when you stop doing something to rest or have fun.
"I took a short break from studying to grab some coffee."
Usage: In everyday usage, a break refers to a short pause or interruption in an activity rather than a musical segment. Use this noun when describing a momentary cessation, such as taking a break from work or traffic coming to a break.
become separated into pieces or fragments
"The figurine broke"
"The freshly baked loaf fell apart"
destroy the integrity of; usually by force; cause to separate into pieces or fragments
"He broke the glass plate"
"She broke the match"
act in disregard of laws, rules, contracts, or promises
"offend all laws of humanity"
"violate the basic laws or human civilization"
"break a law"
"break a promise"
move away or escape suddenly
"The horses broke from the stable"
"Three inmates broke jail"
"Nobody can break out--this prison is high security"
fail to agree with; be in violation of; as of rules or patterns
"This sentence violates the rules of syntax"
make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret
"The auction house would not disclose the price at which the van Gogh had sold"
"The actress won't reveal how old she is"
"bring out the truth"
"he broke the news to her"
"unwrap the evidence in the murder case"
"The newspaper uncovered the President's illegal dealings"
stop operating or functioning
"The engine finally went"
"The car died on the road"
"The bus we travelled in broke down on the way to town"
"The coffee maker broke"
"The engine failed on the way to town"
"her eyesight went after the accident"
make a rupture in the ranks of the enemy or one's own by quitting or fleeing
"The ranks broke"
cause the failure or ruin of
"His peccadilloes finally broke his marriage"
"This play will either make or break the playwright"
assign to a lower position; reduce in rank
"She was demoted because she always speaks up"
"He was broken down to Sergeant"
change directions suddenly
"The horse broke sharply to the left as it spotted a rider in the distance."
make the opening shot that scatters the balls
"The pool champion stepped up to the table and executed a flawless break, scattering every ball across the felt on his very first turn."
go to pieces
"The lawn mower finally broke"
"The gears wore out"
"The old chair finally fell apart completely"
be released or become known; of news
"News of her death broke in the morning"
change suddenly from one tone quality or register to another
"Her voice broke to a whisper when she started to talk about her children"
happen
"Report the news as it develops"
"These political movements recrudesce from time to time"
crack; of the male voice in puberty
"his voice is breaking--he should no longer sing in the choir"
weaken or destroy in spirit or body
"His resistance was broken"
"a man broken by the terrible experience of near-death"
To separate into two or more pieces, to fracture or crack, by a process that cannot easily be reversed for reassembly.
"The old vase broke into jagged shards when I dropped it on the tiled floor."
In plain English: To break something means to cause it to fall apart or stop working by applying force.
"I need to break my leg after falling from the ladder."
Usage: Use "break" to describe when an object shatters or snaps apart due to force, such as breaking a glass or a bone. This usage implies a physical separation into distinct pieces rather than simply stopping or interrupting an action.
The word "break" comes from Old English brecan, which originally meant to shatter or divide something into pieces. It traveled directly into Middle English and then Modern English, retaining its core meaning while also serving as a doublet of the word "bray."