2 → see also bed and breakfast , continental breakfast , English breakfast
3 VERB When you breakfast , you have breakfast. [FORMAL ] □ [V adv/prep] All the ladies breakfasted in their rooms. USAGE breakfast
You don’t usually use ‘a’ with breakfast
. Don’t say, for example, '
brea k|fast ta|ble (breakfast tables ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] You refer to a table as the breakfast table when it is being used for breakfast. □ …reading the morning papers at the breakfast table.
brea k|fast te le|vi|sion N‑UNCOUNT Breakfast television refers to television programmes which are broadcast in the morning at the time when most people are having breakfast. [BRIT ]
brea k|fast time also breakfast-time N‑UNCOUNT [oft prep N ] Breakfast time is the period of the morning when most people have their breakfast. □ By breakfast-time he was already at his desk.
brea k-in (break-ins ) N‑COUNT If there has been a break-in , someone has got into a building by force. □ The break-in had occurred just before midnight.
brea k|ing point N‑UNCOUNT [oft the/a N ] If something or someone has reached breaking point , they have so many problems or difficulties that they can no longer cope with them, and may soon collapse or be unable to continue. □ The report on the riot exposed a prison system stretched to breaking point.
break|neck /bre I knek/ ADJ [ADJ n] If you say that something happens or travels at breakneck speed, you mean that it happens or travels very fast. □ Jack drove to Mayfair at breakneck speed.
break|out /bre I kaʊt/ (breakouts ) also break-out N‑COUNT If there has been a breakout , someone has escaped from prison. □ High Point prison had the highest number of breakouts of any jail in Britain.
break|through /bre I kθruː/ (breakthroughs ) N‑COUNT A breakthrough is an important development or achievement. □ [+ in ] The company looks poised to make a significant breakthrough in China.
brea k-up (break-ups ) also breakup
1 N‑COUNT [n N ] The break-up of a marriage, relationship, or association is the act of it finishing or coming to an end because the people involved decide that it is not working successfully. □ [+ of ] …the acrimonious break-up of the meeting's first session. □ …a marital break-up.
2 N‑COUNT The break-up of an organization or a country is the act of it separating or dividing into several parts. □ [+ of ] The struggling music group is considering a break-up of its three divisions in an attempt to speed up recovery. □ One in five people believes that a break-up would be favourable.
break|water /bre I kwɔːtə r / (breakwaters ) N‑COUNT A breakwater is a wooden or stone wall that extends from the shore into the sea and is built in order to protect a harbour or beach from the force of the waves.
breast ◆◇◇ /bre st/ (breasts )
1 N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] A woman's breasts are the two soft, round parts on her chest that can produce milk to feed a baby. □ She wears a low-cut dress which reveals her breasts. □ As my newborn cuddled at my breast, her tiny fingers stroked my skin. ● -breasted COMB □ She was slim and muscular and full-breasted.
2 N‑COUNT A person's breast is the upper part of his or her chest. [LITERARY ] □ He struck his breast in a dramatic gesture.
3 N‑COUNT A bird's breast is the front part of its body. □ The cock's breast is tinged with chestnut. ● -breasted COMB □ …flocks of red-breasted parrots.
4 N‑SING The breast of a shirt, jacket, or coat is the part which covers the top part of the chest. □ He reached into his breast pocket for his cigar case.
5 N‑VAR You can refer to piece of meat that is cut from the front of a bird or lamb as breast . □ …a chicken breast with vegetables. □ [+ of ] …breast of lamb.
6 → see also double-breasted , single-breasted
breast|bone /bre stboʊn/ (breastbones ) also breast bone N‑COUNT Your breastbone is the long, flat bone which goes from your throat to the bottom of your ribs and to which your ribs are attached.
brea st-feed (breast-feeds , breast-feeding , breast-fed ) also breastfeed , breast feed VERB When a woman breast-feeds her baby, she feeds it with milk from her breasts, rather than from a bottle. □ [V n] Not all women have the choice whether or not to breast feed their babies. □ [V -ed] Leading scientists claim breast-fed babies are intellectually brighter. [Also V ] ● breast-feeding N‑UNCOUNT □ There are many advantages to breast feeding.
brea st milk also breast-milk N‑UNCOUNT Breast milk is the white liquid produced by women to breast-feed their babies.
breast|plate /bre stple I t/ (breastplates ) N‑COUNT A breastplate is a piece of armour that covers and protects the chest.
brea st po ck|et (breast pockets ) N‑COUNT [with poss] The breast pocket of a man's coat or jacket is a pocket, usually on the inside, next to his chest. □ I kept the list in my breast pocket.
breast|stroke /bre stroʊk/ N‑UNCOUNT [oft the N ] Breaststroke is a swimming stroke which you do on your front, moving your arms and legs horizontally in a circular motion.