Part 803

2. A meal after fasting, or food in general.

The wolves will get a breakfast by my death. Dryden.

Break"fast, v. i. [imp. & p. p. breakfasted; p. pr. & vb. n. Breakfasting.] To break one's fast in the morning; too eat the first meal in the day.

First, sir, I read, and then I breakfast. Prior.

Break"fast, v. t. To furnish with breakfast. Milton.

Break"man (&?;), n. See Brakeman.

Break"neck` (&?;), n. 1. A fall that breaks the neck.

2. A steep place endangering the neck.

Break"neck` (&?;), a. Producing danger of a broken neck; as, breakneck speed.

Break"-up` (&?;), n. Disruption; a separation and dispersion of the parts or members; as, a break-up of an assembly or dinner party; a break-up of the government.

Break"wa`ter (&?;), n. Any structure or contrivance, as a mole, or a wall at the mouth of a harbor, to break the force of waves, and afford protection from their violence.

Bream (&?;), n. [OE. breme, brem, F. brême, OF. bresme, of German origin; cf. OHG. brahsema, brahsina, OLG. bressemo, G. brassen. Cf. Brasse.]

1. (Zoöl) A European fresh-water cyprinoid fish of the genus Abramis, little valued as food. Several species are known.

2. (Zoöl) An American fresh-water fish, of various species of Pomotis and allied genera, which are also called sunfishes and pondfishes. See Pondfish.

3. (Zoöl) A marine sparoid fish of the genus Pagellus, and allied genera. See Sea Bream.

Bream, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Breamed (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Breaming.] [Cf. Broom, and G. ein schiff brennen.] (Naut.) To clean, as a ship's bottom of adherent shells, seaweed, etc., by the application of fire and scraping.

Breast (brst), n. [OE. brest, breost, As. breóst; akin to Icel. brjst, Sw. bröst, Dan. bryst, Goth. brusts, OS. briost, D. borst, G. brust.] 1. The fore part of the body, between the neck and the belly; the chest; as, the breast of a man or of a horse.

2. Either one of the protuberant glands, situated on the front of the chest or thorax in the female of man and of some other mammalia, in which milk is secreted for the nourishment of the young; a mamma; a teat.

My brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother. Cant. viii. 1.

3. Anything resembling the human breast, or bosom; the front or forward part of anything; as, a chimney breast; a plow breast; the breast of a hill.

Mountains on whose barren breast The laboring clouds do often rest. Milton.

4. (Mining) (a) The face of a coal working. (b) The front of a furnace.

5. The seat of consciousness; the repository of thought and self-consciousness, or of secrets; the seat of the affections and passions; the heart.

He has a loyal breast. Shak.

6. The power of singing; a musical voice; -- so called, probably, from the connection of the voice with the lungs, which lie within the breast. [Obs.]

By my troth, the fool has an excellent breast. Shak.

Breast drill, a portable drilling machine, provided with a breastplate, for forcing the drill against the work. - - Breast pang. See Angina pectoris, under Angina. -- To make a clean breast, to disclose the secrets which weigh upon one; to make full confession.

Breast, v. t. [imp. & p. p.Breasted; p. pr. & vb. n. Breasting.] To meet, with the breast; to struggle with or oppose manfully; as, to breast the storm or waves.