bri:tʃ n. & v. --n. 1 a
the part of a
cannon behind the bore. b the
back part of a rifle or
gun barrel. 2
archaic the buttocks. --v.tr. archaic put (a boy)
into breeches after being in petticoats
since birth. øbreech birth (or delivery) the
delivery of a
baby with the buttocks or
feet foremost. breech-block a
metal block which closes the breech
aperture in a gun. breech-loader a gun
loaded at the breech,
not through the
muzzle. breech-loading (of a gun) loaded at the breech, not through the muzzle. [OE broc, pl. brec (treated as
sing. in ME), f. Gmc]