1. (v. t.) To strain apart; to sever by fracture; to divide with violence; as, to break a rope or chain; to break a seal; to break an axle; to break rocks or coal; to break a lock.

2. (v. t.) To lay open as by breaking; to divide; as, to break a package of goods.

3. (v. t.) To lay open, as a purpose; to disclose, divulge, or communicate.

4. (v. t.) To infringe or violate, as an obligation, law, or promise.

5. (v. t.) To interrupt; to destroy the continuity of; to dissolve or terminate; as, to break silence; to break one's sleep; to break one's journey.

6. (v. t.) To destroy the completeness of; to remove a part from; as, to break a set.

7. (v. t.) To destroy the arrangement of; to throw into disorder; to pierce; as, the cavalry were not able to break the British squares.

8. (v. t.) To shatter to pieces; to reduce to fragments.

9. (v. t.) To exchange for other money or currency of smaller denomination; as, to break a five dollar bill.

10. (v. t.) To destroy the strength, firmness, or consistency of; as, to break flax.

11. (v. t.) To weaken or impair, as health, spirit, or mind.

12. (v. t.) To diminish the force of; to lessen the shock of, as a fall or blow.

13. (v. t.) To impart, as news or information; to broach; -- with to, and often with a modified word implying some reserve; as, to break the news gently to the widow; to break a purpose cautiously to a friend.

14. (v. t.) To tame; to reduce to subjection; to make tractable; to discipline; as, to break a horse to the harness or saddle.

15. (v. t.) To destroy the financial credit of; to make bankrupt; to ruin.

16. (v. t.) To destroy the official character and standing of; to cashier; to dismiss.

17. (v. i.) To come apart or divide into two or more pieces, usually with suddenness and violence; to part; to burst asunder.

18. (v. i.) To open spontaneously, or by pressure from within, as a bubble, a tumor, a seed vessel, a bag.

19. (v. i.) To burst forth; to make its way; to come to view; to appear; to dawn.

20. (v. i.) To burst forth violently, as a storm.

21. (v. i.) To open up; to be scattered; to be dissipated; as, the clouds are breaking.

22. (v. i.) To become weakened in constitution or faculties; to lose health or strength.

23. (v. i.) To be crushed, or overwhelmed with sorrow or grief; as, my heart is breaking.

24. (v. i.) To fall in business; to become bankrupt.

25. (v. i.) To make an abrupt or sudden change; to change the gait; as, to break into a run or gallop.

26. (v. i.) To fail in musical quality; as, a singer's voice breaks when it is strained beyond its compass and a tone or note is not completed, but degenerates into an unmusical sound instead. Also, to change in tone, as a boy's voice at puberty.

27. (v. i.) To fall out; to terminate friendship.

28. (n.) An opening made by fracture or disruption.

29. (n.) An interruption of continuity; change of direction; as, a break in a wall; a break in the deck of a ship.

30. (n.) A projection or recess from the face of a building.

31. (n.) An opening or displacement in the circuit, interrupting the electrical current.

32. (n.) An interruption; a pause; as, a break in friendship; a break in the conversation.

33. (n.) An interruption in continuity in writing or printing, as where there is an omission, an unfilled line, etc.

34. (n.) The first appearing, as of light in the morning; the dawn; as, the break of day; the break of dawn.

35. (n.) A large four-wheeled carriage, having a straight body and calash top, with the driver's seat in front and the footman's behind.

36. (n.) A device for checking motion, or for measuring friction. See Brake, n. 9 & 10.

37. (n.) See Commutator.

abeyance about ship about-face abrade abrasion abscond abysm abyss accidentality acclimate acclimatize accommodate accommodation accustom actuarial calculation adapt adaptation adjust adjustment adventitiousness agree to disagree alienation alter alteration ameliorate amelioration announce apostasy appear apprentice arrearage arroyo back and fill bankrupt bark be at cross-purposes be changed be converted into be poised be renewed be ruined bear away bear market bear off bear to starboard bearish market beat beat about beat down become insolvent become public bed bed down befall begin bend betide betterment billow blemish blessing bloody blooper blow boner boo-boo boot bottom out bounce box canyon box off breach breach of friendship break break away break down break forth break ground break in break of break off break open break out break the ice break through break to harness break up break with breakage breakout breath breathe breather breathing place breathing space breathing spell breathing time breed bridle brighten bring about bring low bring round bring to terms bring up broken circuit browbeat brush bulldoze bully bump bunk burglarize burgle burn burn off burst burst forth burst in bust buzz about caesura call a break call time can cant cant round canyon case harden cashier cast cast about castrate casualness cave cave in cavity cease cease-fire cessation chafe chance change change course change of heart change the heading changeableness chap chasm cheapen cheapening check checker chimney chink chip chop chop and change cigarette break cipher circuit circuital field circulate clamp down on clash claw cleavage cleave cleft cleuch closed circuit clough cocktail hour coerce coffee break col collapse collide comb come about come apart come around come forth come off come out come round come unstuck commence comminute communicate compel complete circuit concussion condition confirm conflict confound confute conk out conquer constructive change continuity contradict contravene controvert conversion convey coulee couloir counter cow crack crackle cranny crash craze crevasse crevice cripple crumble crumple crush cryptanalyze cultivate cure curry currycomb cut cut apart cut off cut prices cwm dash daunt dawn day off dead circuit debilitate decamp decipher declare a recess decline declining market decompose deconsecrate decrypt defalcation defeat defect defection deficiency deficit defile deflate