11 VERB If you break a habit or if someone breaks you of it, you no longer have that habit. □ [V n] We don't like breaking habits when it comes to food. □ [V n + of ] The professor hoped to break the students of the habit of looking for easy answers.
12 VERB To break someone means to destroy their determination and courage, their success, or their career. □ [V n] He never let his jailers break him. □ [V -ed] Ken's wife, Vicki, said: 'He's a broken man.'
13 VERB If someone breaks for a short period of time, they rest or change from what they are doing for a short period. □ [V ] They broke for lunch.
14 N‑COUNT A break is a short period of time when you have a rest or a change from what you are doing, especially if you are working or if you are in a boring or unpleasant situation. □ They may be able to help with childcare so that you can have a break. □ [+ from ] I thought a 15 min break from his work would do him good. □ She rang Moira during a coffee break.
15 → see also lunch break , tea break
16 N‑COUNT A break is a short holiday. □ [+ in ] They are currently taking a short break in Spain.
17 VERB If you break your journey somewhere, you stop there for a short time so that you can have a rest. □ [V n] Because of the heat we broke our journey at a small country hotel.
18 VERB To break the force of something such as a blow or fall means to weaken its effect, for example by getting in the way of it. □ [V n] He sustained serious neck injuries after he broke someone's fall.
19 VERB When a piece of news breaks , people hear about it online, or from the newspapers, television, or radio. □ [V ] The news broke that the Prime Minister had resigned. □ [V ] He resigned from his post as Bishop when the scandal broke.
20 VERB When you break a piece of bad news to someone, you tell it to them, usually in a kind way. □ [V n] Then Louise broke the news that she was leaving me. □ [V n + to ] I worried for ages and decided that I had better break it to her.
21 N‑COUNT A break is a lucky opportunity that someone gets to achieve something. [INFORMAL ] □ He got his first break appearing in a variety show.
22 VERB If you break a record, you beat the previous record for a particular achievement. □ [V n] The film had broken all box office records.
23 → see also record-breaking
24 VERB When day or dawn breaks , it starts to grow light after the night has ended. □ [V ] They continued the search as dawn broke.
25 → see also daybreak
26 VERB When a wave breaks , it passes its highest point and turns downwards, for example when it reaches the shore. □ [V ] Danny listened to the waves breaking against the shore.
27 VERB If you break a secret code, you work out how to understand it. □ [V n] It was feared they could break the Allies' codes.
28 VERB If someone's voice breaks when they are speaking, it changes its sound, for example because they are sad or afraid. □ [V ] Godfrey's voice broke, and halted.
29 VERB When a boy's voice breaks , it becomes deeper and sounds more like a man's voice. □ [V ] He sings with the strained discomfort of someone whose voice hasn't quite broken.
30 VERB If the weather breaks or a storm breaks , it suddenly becomes rainy or stormy after a period of sunshine. □ [V ] I've been waiting for the weather to break.
31 VERB In tennis, if you break your opponent's serve, you win a game in which your opponent is serving. □ [V n] The world No 5 broke the 25-year-old Cypriot's serve twice. ● N‑COUNT Break is also a noun. □ A single break of serve settled the first two sets.
32 → see also broke , broken , heartbreak , heartbreaking , heartbroken , outbreak
33 PHRASE The break of day or the break of dawn is the time when it begins to grow light after the night. [LITERARY ] □ 'I,' he finished poetically, 'will watch over you to the break of day.'
34 CONVENTION You can say ' give me a break ' to show that you are annoyed by what someone has said or done. [INFORMAL , FEELINGS ] □ 'I'm a real intellectual-type guy' James joked. 'Oh, give me a break,' Tracy moaned.
35 PHRASE If you make a break or make a break for it , you run to escape from something. □ The moment had come to make a break or die.
36 to break cover → see cover
37 to break even → see even ➋
38 to break new ground → see ground
39 to break someone's heart → see heart
40 all hell breaks loose → see hell
41 to break the ice → see ice
42 to break ranks → see rank
43 to break wind → see wind ➊