Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - break

 I. verb  (broke; broken; ~ing)  Etymology: Middle English breken, from Old English brecan; akin to Old High German brehhan to ~, Latin frangere  Date: before 12th century  transitive verb  1.  a. to separate into parts with suddenness or violence  b. fracture ~ an arm  c. rupture ~ the skin  d. to cut into and turn over the surface of ~ the soil  e. to render inoperable broke his watch  2.  a. violate, transgress ~ the law ~ a promise  b. to invalidate (a will) by action at law  3.  a. archaic to force entry into  b. to burst and force a way through ~ the sound barrier ~ a racial barrier  c. to escape by force from ~ jail  d. to make or effect by cutting, forcing, or pressing through ~ a trail through the woods  4. to disrupt the order or compactness of ~ formation  5. to make ineffective as a binding force ~ the spell  6.  a. to defeat utterly and end as an effective force ; destroy used starvation to ~ the enemy  b. to crush the spirit of brutal methods broke the prisoner  c. to make tractable or submissive: as  (1) past participle often broke to train (an animal) to adjust to the service or convenience of humans a halter-broke horse  (2) inure, accustom  d. to exhaust in health, strength, or capacity broken by his struggle for power  7.  a. to stop or bring to an end suddenly ; halt ~ a deadlock  b. interrupt, suspend ~ the silence with a cry  c. to open and bring about suspension of operation ~ an electric circuit  d. to destroy unity or completeness of ~ a dining room set by buying a chair  e. to change the appearance of uniformity of a dormer ~s the level roof  f. to split the surface of fish ~ing water  g. to cause to discontinue a habit tried to ~ him of smoking  8.  a. to make known ; tell ~ the bad news gently  b. to bring to attention or prominence initially radio stations ~ing new musicians ~ a news story  9.  a. to ruin financially ~ the bank  b. to reduce in rank broken from sergeant to private  10.  a. to split into smaller units, parts, or processes ; divide  b.  (1) to give or get the equivalent of (a bill) in smaller denominations  (2) to use as the denomination in paying a bill didn't want to ~ a $20 bill — often used with into, up, or down  11.  a. to check the speed, force, or intensity of the bushes will ~ his fall without ~ing her stride  b. to cause failure and discontinuance of (a strike) by measures outside bargaining processes  12. to cause a sudden significant decrease in the price, value, or volume of news likely to ~ the market sharply  13.  a. exceed, surpass ~ the record  b. to score less than (a specified total) a golfer trying to ~ 90  c. to win against (an opponent's service) in tennis  d. to make (a run) in football by getting past defenders broke a 20-yard run  14. to open the action of (a breechloader)  15.  a. to find an explanation or solution for ; solve the detective broke the case  b. to discover the essentials of (a code or cipher system)  16. to demonstrate the falsity of ~ an alibi  17. to ruin the prospects of could make or ~ her career  18. to produce visibly barely ~s a sweat  intransitive verb  1.  a. to escape with sudden forceful effort the attacker broke from the throng  b. to come into being by or as if by bursting forth day was ~ing  c. to effect a penetration ~ through security lines  d. to emerge through the surface of the water  e. to start abruptly when the storm broke  f. to become known or published when the news broke  g. to make a sudden dash ~ for cover  h. to separate after a clinch in boxing  i. to achieve initial success in usually a sudden or striking way her song broke nationally  j. to begin a race the horse broke poorly  2.  a. to come apart or split into pieces ; fragment, shatter the cup broke when it fell  b. to open spontaneouslY OR BY PRESSURE FROM WITHIN the blister broke  c. of a wave to curl over and fall apart in surf or foam  3. to interrupt one's activity or occupation for a brief period ~ for lunch  4. to alter sharply in tone, pitch, or intensity a voice ~ing with emotion  5. to become fair ; clear when the weather ~s  6. to make the opening shot of a game of pool  7. to end a relationship, connection, or agreement — usually used with with or from  8. to give way in disorderly retreat  9.  a. to swerve suddenly  b. to curve from a straight path a pitch that ~s away from the batter a putt that ~s left  10.  a. to fail in health, strength, vitality, resolve, or control may ~ under questioning  b. to become inoperative because of damage, wear, or strain the pump broke  11. to fail to keep a prescribed gait — used of a horse  12. to undergo a sudden significant decrease in price, value, or volume transportation stocks may ~ sharply  13. happen, develop for the team to succeed, everything has to ~ right  14. to win against an opponent's service in tennis  15.  a. to divide into classes, categories, or types — usually used with into the rose is broken into several varieties  b. to fold, bend, lift, or come apart at a seam, groove, or joint  c. of cream to separate during churning into liquid and fat  II. noun  Date: 14th century  1.  a. an act or action of ~ing  b. the opening shot in a game of pool or billiards  2.  a. a condition produced by or as if by ~ing ; gap a ~ in the clouds  b. a gap in an otherwise continuous electric circuit  3. the action or act of ~ing in, out, or forth at ~ of day a jail ~  4. a place or situation at which a ~ occurs: as  a. the place at which a word is divided especially at the end of a line of print or writing  b. the point or location at which waves ~ for surfing  5. an interruption in continuity a ~ in the weather: as  a. a notable change of subject matter, attitude, or treatment  b.  (1) an abrupt, significant, or noteworthy change or interruption in a continuous process, trend, or surface  (2) a respite from work, school, or duty coffee ~ spring ~  (3) relief from annoyance — often used to express exasperation or irritation in phrases like give me a ~  (4) a planned interruption in a radio or television program a ~ for the commercial  c. deviation of a pitched baseball from a straight line  d. mining fault, dislocation  e. failure of a horse to maintain the prescribed gait  f. an abrupt change in musical or vocal pitch or quality  g. the action or an instance of ~ing service in tennis  h. a usually solo instrumental passage in jazz, folk, or popular music  6.  a. dash, rush a base runner making a ~ for home  b. fast ~  7. a sudden and abrupt decline of prices or values  8.  a. the start of a race  b. the act of separating after a clinch in boxing  9.  a. a stroke of luck and especially of good luck a bad ~ got the ~s  b. a favorable or opportune situation ; chance waiting for a big ~ in show business  c. favorable consideration or treatment a tax ~ a ~ on the price  10.  a. a rupture in previously agreeable relations a ~ between the two countries  b. an abrupt split or difference with something previously adhered to or followed a sharp ~ with tradition  11. ~down 1c suffered a mental ~