break
Specific meanings
- to dawn, as the day.
- to exchange for a smaller amount or smaller units.
- to ruin financially, or make bankrupt.
- (of the heart) to be crushed or overwhelmed, especially by grief.
- (of the voice) to vary between two registers, especially in emotion or during adolescence.
- Colloquial to happen: It broke just the way I wanted;
Things broke very nicely for him.
Military
- to open the breech of (a gun) either for safety or for unloading.
- to reduce in rank.
- to come suddenly, as into notice.
Journalism
- to be the first to publish (a news item).
- (of a news item) to appear for the first time in a newspaper, on television, etc.
- (of a fish) to come to the surface.
- to train (an animal) to obedience; tame.
- (of stock) to stampede: the cattle broke at night.
- (of stock-exchange prices) to drop quickly and considerably.
- Music.
- Sports & Games.
- Technical/Jargon.