break
- noun
- /breɪk/
- Jargon
- At nine, we take a break, apply salve to our shoulders, and have some bottled water.
Examples
-
During the game, he made a fantastic break that sent all the balls across the table.
-
My personal best is a break of six.
-
During a break in her game, Georgia came over to the bar to say hi.
Fiction book (1994) -
I got a good break, watched three balls clunk into their pockets.
Fiction book (2002) -
Fergus takes a break and watches the batsman hit a ball.
Fiction book (1992) -
She made her best play with the opening break of the match.
-
The rookie's powerful break set a new record for the number of balls pocketed in one shot.
Antonyms
Idioms
To overcome barriers that stop women or minority groups getting higher jobs
- Informal
A sudden time when many people lose control and chaos starts
- Informal
To do new or difficult things on purpose to learn and grow
A phrase that says hurt to the body is worse than insults and words do not hurt
Compounds
- Specialized
A smaller tax people or companies must pay to encourage certain activities
- Jargon
A quick attack where a team moves fast down the court to score before the defense sets up
Surface Forms
Etymology
Break comes from an old English word brecan meaning 'to split' or 'scatter'. In pool the 'break' is the first shot that scatters the balls and splits the group.