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[bread and butter(1)] The usual needs of life; food, shelter, and clothing. * /Ed earned his bread and butter as a bookkeeper, but added a little jam by working with a dance band on weekends./

[bread and butter(2)] Thanking someone for entertainment or a nice visit; thank-you. * /After spending the weekend as a guest in the Jones' home, Alice wrote the Joneses the usual bread-and-butter letter./ See: BREAD AND BUTTER LETTER.

[bread and butter(3)] , Spoken to prevent bad luck that you think might result from some action. * /We'd say "Bread and butter!" when we had passed on opposite sides of a tree./

[bread-and-butter letter] A written acknowledgment of hospitality received. * /Jane wrote the Browns a bread-and-butter letter when she returned home from her visit to them./

[breadbasket] , The stomach. * /John is stuffing his breadbasket again./

[break] See: COFFEE BREAK.

[break away] or [break loose] To liberate oneself from someone or something. * /Jane tried to break loose from her attacker, but he was too strong./

[break camp] To take down and pack tents and camping things; take your things from a camping place. * /The scouts broke camp at dawn./

[break down] (stress on "down") 1. To smash or hit (something) so that it falls; cause to fall by force. * /The firemen broke down the door./ 2. To reduce or destroy the strength or effect of; weaken; win over. * /By helpful kindness the teacher broke down the new boy's shyness./ * /Advertising breaks down a lot of stubbornness against change./ 3. To separate into elements or parts; decay. * /Water is readily broken down into hydrogen and oxygen./ * /After many years, rocks break down into dirt./ 4. To become unusable because of breakage or other failure; lose power to work or go. * /The car broke down after half an hour's driving./ * /His health broke down./ * /When the coach was sick in bed, the training rules of the team broke down./ Compare: GO BACK ON(2).

[breakdown] See: NERVOUS BREAKDOWN.

[breaker] See: JAW-BREAKER.

[break even] , (stress on "even") To end a series of gains and losses having the same amount you started with; have expenses equal to profits; have equal gain and loss. * /The storekeeper made many sales, but his expenses were so high that he just broke even./ * /If you gamble you are lucky when you break even./

[break-even] The point of equilibrium in a business venture when one has made as much money as one had invested, but not more that would be "profit." * /"We've reached the break-even point at long last!" - Max exclaimed with joy./

[break ground] To begin a construction project by digging for the foundation; especially, to turn the formal first spadeful of dirt. * /City officials and industrial leaders were there as the company broke ground for its new building./ See: BREAK NEW GROUND.

[break in] (stress on "in") 1a. To break from outside. * /The firemen broke in the door of the burning house./ 1b. To enter by force or unlawfully. * /Thieves broke in while the family was away./ 2. To enter suddenly or interrupt. * /A stranger broke in on the meeting without knocking./ * /The secretary broke in to say that a telegram had arrived./ Compare: CUT IN(2). 3. To make a start in a line of work or with a company or association; begin a new job. * /He broke in as a baseball player with a minor league./ 4. To teach the skills of a new job or activity to. * /An assistant foreman broke in the new man as a machine operator./ 5. To lessen the stiffness or newness of by use. * /He broke in a new pair of shoes./ * /Breaking in a new car requires careful driving at moderate speeds./

[break-in] (stress on "break") A robbery; a burglary. * /We lost our jewelry during a break-in./

[break into] 1. To force an entrance into; make a rough or unlawful entrance into. * /Thieves broke into the store at night./ 2. To succeed in beginning (a career, business, or a social life) * /He broke into television as an actor./ 3. To interrupt. * /He broke into the discussion with a shout of warning./ 4. To begin suddenly. * /He broke into a sweat./ * /She broke into tears./ * /The dog heard his master's whistle and broke into a run./

[break new ground] 1. To start a new activity previously neglected by others; do pioneering work. * /Albert Einstein broke new ground with his theory of relativity./ 2. To begin something never done before. * /The school broke new ground with reading lessons that taught students to guess the meaning of new words./

[break off] 1. To stop suddenly. * /The speaker was interrupted so often that he broke off and sat down./ * /When Bob came in, Jean broke off her talk with Linda and talked to Bob./ 2. To end a friendship or love. * /I hear that Tom and Alice have broken off./ * /She broke off with her best friend./

[break one's balls] , , , To do something with maximum effort; to do something very difficult or taxing * /I've been breaking my balls to buy you this new color TV set and you aren't the least bit appreciative!/ Compare: BREAK ONE'S NECK.

[break one's heart] To discourage greatly; make very sad or hopeless. * /His son's disgrace broke his heart./ * /When Mr. White lost everything he had worked so hard for, it broke his heart./

[break one's neck] , To do all you possibly can; try your hardest. - Usually used with a limiting adverb or negative. * /John nearly broke his neck trying not to be late to school./ * /Mother asked Mary to go to the store when she was free, but not to break her neck over it./

[break one's word] To renege on a promise. * /When Jake broke his word that he would marry Sarah, she became very depressed./

[break out] 1. To begin showing a rash or other skin disorder. - Often used with "with". * /He broke out with scarlet fever./ 2. To speak or act suddenly and violently. * /He broke out laughing./ * /She broke out, "That is not so!"/ 3. To begin and become noticeable. * /Fire broke out after the earthquake./ * /War broke out in 1812./ Compare: FLARE UP. 4. To bring out; open and show. * /When word of the victory came, people began breaking out their flags./ * /When Mr. Carson's first son was born, he broke out the cigars he had been saving./

[break the ice] , 1. To conquer the first difficulties in starting a conversation, getting a party going, or making an acquaintance. * /To break the ice Ted spoke of his interest in mountain climbing, and they soon had a conversation going./ * /Some people use an unusual thing, such as an unusual piece of jewelry, to break the ice./ 2. To be the first person or team to score in a game. * /The Wolves broke the ice with a touchdown./

[break the record] To set or to establish a new mark or record. * /Algernon broke the record in both the pentathlon and the decathlon and took home two gold medals from the Olympics./

[break through] To be successful after overcoming a difficulty or bar to success. * /Dr. Salk failed many times but he finally broke through to find a successful polio vaccine./ * /Jim studied very hard this semester in college, and he finally broke through onto the Dean's List for the first time./

[breakthrough] A point of sudden success after a long process of experimentation, trial and error. * /The U.S. Space Program experienced a major breakthrough when Armstrong and Aldrin landed on the moon in June of 1969./

[break up] To end a romantic relationship, a marriage, or a business partnership. * /Tom and Jane broke up because Tom played so much golf that he had no time for her./

[break up] 1. To break into pieces. * /The workmen broke up the pavement to dig up the pipes under it./ * /River ice breaks up in the spring./ 2. To lose or destroy spirit or self-control. - Usually used in the passive. * /Mrs. Lawrence was all broken up after her daughter's death, and did not go out of the house for two months./ Compare: CRACK UP, GO TO PIECES. 3. To come or to put to an end, especially by separation; separate. * /Some men kept interrupting the speakers, and finally broke up the meeting./ * /The party broke up at midnight./ - Often used in the informal phrase "break it up". * /The boys were fighting, and a passing policeman ordered them to break it up./ Compare: CUT OUT(1). 4. To stop being friends. * /Mary and June were good friends and did everything together, but then they had a quarrel and broke up/ Compare: BREAK OFF.

[break-up] The end of a relationship, personal or commercial. * /The break-up finally occurred when Smith and Brown decided to sue each other for embezzlement./

[break with] To separate yourself from; end membership in; stop friendly association with. * /He broke with the Democratic party on the question of civil rights./ * /He had broken with some friends who had changed in their ideas./

[breast] See: MAKE A CLEAN BREAST OF.

[breath] See: CATCH ONE'S BREATH, DRAW A LONG BREATH or TAKE A LONG BREATH, HOLD ONE'S BREATH, IN THE SAME BREATH, OUT OF BREATH, SAVE ONE'S BREATH, SECOND WIND also SECOND BREATH, TAKE ONE'S BREATH AWAY, UNDER ONE'S BREATH, WASTE ONE'S BREATH.

[breathe down one's neck] , To follow closely; threaten from behind; watch every action. * /Too many creditors were breathing down his neck./ * /The carpenter didn't like to work for Mr. Jones, who was always breathing down his neck./

[breathe easily] or [breathe freely] To have relief from difficulty or worry; relax; feel that trouble is gone; stop worrying. * /Now that the big bills were paid, he breathed more easily./ * /His mother didn't breathe easily until he got home that night./

[breathe one's last] To die. * /The wounded soldier fell back on the ground and breathed his last./

[bred in the bone] Belonging to your nature or character, especially from early teaching or long habit; natural from belief or habit; believing deeply. * /The Willett children's cleanness is bred in the none./ Often used, with hyphens before the noun. * /Joe is a bred-in-the-bone horseman; he has been riding since he was six./ Contrast: SKIN-DEEP.

[breeches] See: TOO BIG FOR ONE'S BREECHES.

[breeze] See: SHOOT THE BREEZE or BAT THE BREEZE or FAN THE BREEZE, WIN IN A WALK or WIN IN A BREEZE.

[breeze in] , , To walk into a place casually (like a soft blowing wind). * /Betsie breezed in and sat down at the bar./

[brew] See: HOME BREW.

[brick] See: MAKE BRICKS WITHOUT STRAW.

[brick wall] See: STONE WALL.

[bridge] See: BURN ONE'S BRIDGES, CROSS A BRIDGE BEFORE ONE COMES TO IT, WATER OVER THE DAM or WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE.

[brief] See: HOLD A BRIEF FOR, IN BRIEF or IN SHORT or IN A WORD.

[bright and early] Prompt and alert; on time and ready; cheerful and on time or before time. * /He came down bright and early to breakfast./ * /She arrived bright and early for the appointment./

[bring about] To cause; produce; lead to. * /The war had brought about great changes in living./ * /Drink brought about his downfall./

[bring around] or [bring round] 1. To restore to health or consciousness cure. * /He was quite ill, but good nursing brought him around./ Compare: BRING TO(1). 2. To cause a change in thinking; persuade; convince; make willing. * /After a good deal of discussion he brought her round to his way of thinking./

[bringdown] , , 1. (from "bring down", past "brought down"). A critical or cutting remark said sarcastically in order to deflate a braggard's ego. * /John always utters the right bringdown when he encounters a braggard./ 2. A person who depresses and saddens others by being a chronic complainer. * /John is a regular bringdown./

[bring down] , , 1. To deflate (someone's ego). * /John brought Ted down very cleverly with his remarks./ 2. To depress (someone). * /The funeral brought me down completely./

[bring down about one's ears] or [bring down around one's ears] See: ABOUT ONE'S EARS.