Part 799

Bread (brd), v. t. [AS. brdan to make broad, to spread. See Broad, a.] To spread. [Obs.] Ray.

Bread (brd), n. [AS. breád; akin to OFries. brd, OS. brd, D. brood, G. brod, brot, Icel. brauð, Sw. & Dan. bröd. The root is probably that of E. brew. √93. See Brew.] 1. An article of food made from flour or meal by moistening, kneading, and baking.

Raised bread is made with yeast, salt, and sometimes a little butter or lard, and is mixed with warm milk or water to form the dough, which, after kneading, is given time to rise before baking. -- Cream of tartar bread is raised by the action of an alkaline carbonate or bicarbonate (as saleratus or ammonium bicarbonate) and cream of tartar (acid tartrate of potassium) or some acid. -- Unleavened bread is usually mixed with water and salt only.

Aërated bread. See under Aërated. Bread and butter (fig.), means of living. -- Brown bread, Indian bread, Graham bread, Rye and Indian bread. See Brown bread, under Brown. -- Bread tree. See Breadfruit.

2. Food; sustenance; support of life, in general.

Give us this day our daily bread. Matt. vi. 11

Bread, v. t. (Cookery) To cover with bread crumbs, preparatory to cooking; as, breaded cutlets.

Bread"bas`ket (&?;), n. The stomach. [Humorous] S. Foote.

Bread"corn` (&?;). Corn of grain of which bread is made, as wheat, rye, etc.

Bread"ed, a. Braided [Obs.] Spenser.

Bread"en (&?;), a. Made of bread. [R.]

Bread"fruit` (&?;), n. (Bot.) 1. The fruit of a tree (Artocarpus incisa) found in the islands of the Pacific, esp. the South Sea islands. It is of a roundish form, from four to six or seven inches in diameter, and, when baked, somewhat resembles bread, and is eaten as food, whence the name.

2. (Bot.) The tree itself, which is one of considerable size, with large, lobed leaves. Cloth is made from the bark, and the timber is used for many purposes. Called also breadfruit tree and bread tree.

Bread"less, a. Without bread; destitute of food.

Plump peers and breadless bards alike are dull. P. Whitehead.

Bread`root" (&?;), n. (Bot.) The root of a leguminous plant (Psoralea esculenta), found near the Rocky Mountains. It is usually oval in form, and abounds in farinaceous matter, affording sweet and palatable food.

It is the Pomme blanche of Canadian voyageurs.

Bread"stuff (&?;), n. Grain, flour, or meal of which bread is made.

Breadth (brdth), n. [OE. brede, breede, whence later bredette, AS. brdu, fr. brd broad. See Broad, a.]

1. Distance from side to side of any surface or thing; measure across, or at right angles to the length; width.

2. (Fine Arts) The quality of having the colors and shadows broad and massive, and the arrangement of objects such as to avoid to great multiplicity of details, producing an impression of largeness and simple grandeur; -- called also breadth of effect.

Breadth of coloring is a prominent character in the painting of all great masters. Weale.

Breadth"less, a. Without breadth.

Breadth"ways (-wz), ads. Breadthwise. Whewell.

Breadth"wise (-wz), ads. In the direction of the breadth.

Bread"win`ner (brd"wn`nr), n. The member of a family whose labor supplies the food of the family; one who works for his living. H. Spencer.

Break (brk), v. t. [imp. broke (brk), (Obs. Brake); p. p. Broken (br"k'n), (Obs. Broke); p. pr. & vb. n. Breaking.] [OE. breken, AS. brecan; akin to OS. brekan, D. breken, OHG. brehhan, G. brechen, Icel. braka to creak, Sw. braka, bräkka to crack, Dan. brække to break, Goth. brikan to break, L. frangere. Cf. Bray to pound, Breach, Fragile.] 1. 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. Shak.

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