2 ADJ [ADJ n] Bread and butter issues or matters are ones which are important to most people, because they affect them personally. □ The opposition gained support by concentrating on bread-and-butter matters.
brea d bas|ket (bread baskets ) also breadbasket N‑COUNT [usu with poss] If an area or region is described as the bread basket of a country, it provides a lot of the food for that country because crops grow very easily there. It therefore produces wealth for the country. □ The north-west became the country's bread basket.
brea d bin (bread bins ) N‑COUNT A bread bin is a wooden, metal, or plastic container for storing bread. [BRIT ] in AM, use breadbox
bread|board /bre dbɔː r d/ (breadboards ) also bread board N‑COUNT A breadboard is a flat piece of wood used for cutting bread on.
bread|box /bre dbɒks/ (breadboxes ) also bread box N‑COUNT A breadbox is the same as a bread bin . [AM ]
bread|crumb /bre dkrʌm/ (breadcrumbs ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Breadcrumbs are tiny pieces of dry bread. They are used in cooking.
bread|fruit /bre dfruːt/ (breadfruit ) N‑VAR Breadfruit are large round fruit that grow on trees in the Pacific Islands and in tropical parts of America and that, when baked, look and feel like bread.
bread|line /bre dla I n/ N‑SING [usu on the N ] Someone who is on the breadline is very poor indeed. □ We lived on the breadline to get our son through college. □ They're not exactly on the breadline.
breadth /bre tθ, [AM ] bre dθ/
1 N‑UNCOUNT The breadth of something is the distance between its two sides. □ [+ of ] The breadth of the whole camp was 400 paces.
2 N‑UNCOUNT The breadth of something is its quality of consisting of or involving many different things. □ [+ of ] Older people have a tremendous breadth of experience. □ [+ of ] His breadth of knowledge filled me with admiration.
3 PHRASE If you say that someone does something or something happens throughout or across the length and breadth of a place, you are emphasizing that it happens everywhere in that place. [EMPHASIS ] □ The group built their reputation by playing across the length and breadth of North America. □ She has travelled the length and breadth of Britain.
4 → see also hair's breadth
bread|winner /bre dw I nə r / (breadwinners ) also bread-winner N‑COUNT The breadwinner in a family is the person in it who earns the money that the family needs for essential things. □ I've always paid the bills and been the breadwinner.
break ◆◆◆ /bre I k/ (breaks , breaking , broke , broken )
1 VERB When an object breaks or when you break it, it suddenly separates into two or more pieces, often because it has been hit or dropped. □ [V n] He fell through the window, breaking the glass. □ [V ] The plate broke. □ [V n + into ] Break the cauliflower into florets. □ [V + into ] The plane broke into three pieces. □ [V -ed] …bombed-out buildings, surrounded by broken glass and rubble. □ [V -ing] The only sound was the crackle of breaking ice.
2 VERB If you break a part of your body such as your leg, your arm, or your nose, or if a bone breaks , you are injured because a bone cracks or splits. □ [V n] She broke a leg in a skiing accident. □ [V ] Old bones break easily. □ [V -ed] Several people were treated for broken bones. ● N‑COUNT Break is also a noun. □ It has caused a bad break to Gabriella's leg.
3 VERB If a surface, cover, or seal breaks or if something breaks it, a hole or tear is made in it, so that a substance can pass through. □ [V n] Once you've broken the seal of a bottle there's no way you can put it back together again. □ [V ] The bandage must be put on when the blister breaks. □ [V -ed] Do not use the cream on broken skin.
4 VERB When a tool or piece of machinery breaks or when you break it, it is damaged and no longer works. □ [V ] When the clutch broke, the car was locked into second gear. □ [V n] The lead biker broke his bike chain. [Also V -ed]
5 VERB If you break a rule, promise, or agreement, you do something that you should not do according to that rule, promise, or agreement. □ [V n] We didn't know we were breaking the law. □ [V -ed] …broken promises.
6 VERB If you break free or loose, you free yourself from something or escape from it. □ [V adj] She broke free by thrusting her elbow into his chest.
7 VERB If someone breaks something, especially a difficult or unpleasant situation that has existed for some time, they end it or change it. □ [V n] New proposals have been put forward to break the deadlock among rival factions. □ [V n] The country is heading towards elections which may break the party's long hold on power. ● N‑COUNT [usu sing] Break is also a noun. □ Nothing that might lead to a break in the deadlock has been discussed yet.
8 VERB If someone or something breaks a silence, they say something or make a noise after a long period of silence. □ [V n] Hugh broke the silence. 'Is she always late?' he asked.
9 N‑COUNT If there is a break in the cloud or weather, it changes and there is a short period of sunshine or fine weather. □ [+ in ] A sudden break in the cloud allowed rescuers to spot Michael Benson.
10 VERB If you break with a group of people or a traditional way of doing things, or you break your connection with them, you stop being involved with that group or stop doing things in that way. □ [V + with ] In 1959, Akihito broke with imperial tradition by marrying a commoner. □ [V + from ] They were determined to break from precedent. □ [V n + with ] They have yet to break the link with the trade unions. [Also V n] ● N‑COUNT [usu sing] Break is also a noun. □ Making a completely clean break with the past, the couple got rid of all their old furniture.