Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In worsted-manuf., the process of uniting the short slivers, as received from the comber, into one continuous rope or sliver, by doubling and running through drawing-webs.
  • noun [Imitation of German brechung.] In philology, the change of one vowel to two before certain consonants, as, in Anglo-Saxon (where the phenomenon abounds), earm for *arm, arm, eorthe for *erthe, earth, etc.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective p. pr. & vb. n. of break, v. i.
  • adjective (Journalism) Still happening or becoming known at the present time; -- used of news reports.
  • noun The act of breaking something.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb Present participle of break.
  • noun linguistics A change of a vowel to a diphthong
  • noun music A form of ornamentation in which groups of short notes are used instead of long ones
  • noun break dancing

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the act of breaking something

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

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Examples

  • He shows how frequently this principle is misunderstood by the inexperienced, who seem to think that rubato means breaking the time; whereas true rubato is the _bending_ of the time, but not _breaking_ it.

    Piano Mastery Talks with Master Pianists and Teachers Harriette Brower 1898

  • "I believe the official description is that it broke even, but that relies on a highly creative definition of the term 'breaking even'," Maharaj said.

    The Globe and Mail - Home RSS feed BEVERLEY SMITH 2011

  • "I believe the official description is that it broke even, but that relies on a highly creative definition of the term 'breaking even'," Maharaj said.

    The Globe and Mail - Home RSS feed BEVERLEY SMITH 2011

  • Mr. Haywood may be the one to catch dropping in for a tag breaking from the rail.

    NY Daily News JERRY BOSSERT 2011

  • Now *that's* what I call a breaking news story . . .

    Imagine the subeditor's glee 2009

  • In the broadcast business when there is what we call a breaking story, we refer to what we do as ‘continuing coverage,’ but this is an extraordinary story that plows new ground.

    Orbit John J. Nance 2006

  • In the broadcast business when there is what we call a breaking story, we refer to what we do as ‘continuing coverage,’ but this is an extraordinary story that plows new ground.

    Orbit John J. Nance 2006

  • The interesting thing to me -- what I referred to as the breaking of a social contract in the other thread -- is the manner in which the NGE was rolled out.

    Order 66 2005

  • And I broke what we call breaking, I broke past name, rank, serial number.

    Hullabaloo 2004

  • And I broke what we call breaking, I broke past name, rank, serial number.

    Hullabaloo 2004

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