Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary полностью

bread|line /bre dla I n/ N‑SING [usu on the N ] Someone who is on the breadline is very poor indeed. □  We lived on the breadline to get our son through college. □  They're not exactly on the breadline.

breadth /bre tθ, [AM ] bre dθ/

1 N‑UNCOUNT The breadth of something is the distance between its two sides. □ [+ of ] The breadth of the whole camp was 400 paces.

2 N‑UNCOUNT The breadth of something is its quality of consisting of or involving many different things. □ [+ of ] Older people have a tremendous breadth of experience. □ [+ of ] His breadth of knowledge filled me with admiration.

3 PHRASE If you say that someone does something or something happens throughout or across the length and breadth of a place, you are emphasizing that it happens everywhere in that place. [EMPHASIS ] □  The group built their reputation by playing across the length and breadth of North America. □  She has travelled the length and breadth of Britain.

4 → see also hair's breadth

bread|winner /bre dw I nə ^r / (breadwinners ) also bread-winner N‑COUNT The breadwinner in a family is the person in it who earns the money that the family needs for essential things. □  I've always paid the bills and been the breadwinner.

break ◆◆◆ /bre I k/ (breaks , breaking , broke , broken )

1 VERB When an object breaks or when you break it, it suddenly separates into two or more pieces, often because it has been hit or dropped. □ [V n] He fell through the window, breaking the glass. □ [V ] The plate broke. □ [V n + into ] Break the cauliflower into florets. □ [V + into ] The plane broke into three pieces. □ [V -ed] …bombed-out buildings, surrounded by broken glass and rubble. □ [V -ing] The only sound was the crackle of breaking ice.

2 VERB If you break a part of your body such as your leg, your arm, or your nose, or if a bone breaks , you are injured because a bone cracks or splits. □ [V n] She broke a leg in a skiing accident. □ [V ] Old bones break easily. □ [V -ed] Several people were treated for broken bones. ● N‑COUNT Break is also a noun. □  It has caused a bad break to Gabriella's leg.

3 VERB If a surface, cover, or seal breaks or if something breaks it, a hole or tear is made in it, so that a substance can pass through. □ [V n] Once you've broken the seal of a bottle there's no way you can put it back together again. □ [V ] The bandage must be put on when the blister breaks. □ [V -ed] Do not use the cream on broken skin.

4 VERB When a tool or piece of machinery breaks or when you break it, it is damaged and no longer works. □ [V ] When the clutch broke, the car was locked into second gear. □ [V n] The lead biker broke his bike chain. [Also V -ed]

5 VERB If you break a rule, promise, or agreement, you do something that you should not do according to that rule, promise, or agreement. □ [V n] We didn't know we were breaking the law. □ [V -ed] …broken promises.

6 VERB If you break free or loose, you free yourself from something or escape from it. □ [V adj] She broke free by thrusting her elbow into his chest.