[break one’s heart]{v. phr.} To discourage greatly; make very sad or hopeless. •/His son’s disgrace broke his heart./ •/When Mr. White lost everything he had worked so hard for, it broke his heart./
[break one’s neck]{v. phr.}, {slang} To do all you possibly can; try your hardest. — Usually used with a limiting adverb or negative. •/John nearly broke his neck trying not to be late to school./ •/Mother asked Mary to go to the store when she was free, but not to break her neck over it./
[break one’s word]{v. phr.} To renege on a promise. •/When Jake broke his word that he would marry Sarah, she became very depressed./
[break out]{v.} 1. To begin showing a rash or other skin disorder. — Often used with "with". •/He broke out with scarlet fever./ 2. To speak or act suddenly and violently. •/He broke out laughing./ •/She broke out, "That is not so!"/ 3. To begin and become noticeable. •/Fire broke out after the earthquake./ •/War broke out in 1812./ Compare: FLARE UP. 4. {informal} To bring out; open and show. •/When word of the victory came, people began breaking out their flags./ •/When Mr. Carson’s first son was born, he broke out the cigars he had been saving./
[break the ice]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To conquer the first difficulties in starting a conversation, getting a party going, or making an acquaintance. •/To break the ice Ted spoke of his interest in mountain climbing, and they soon had a conversation going./ •/Some people use an unusual thing, such as an unusual piece of jewelry, to break the ice./ 2. To be the first person or team to score in a game. •/The Wolves broke the ice with a touchdown./
[break the record]{v. phr.} To set or to establish a new mark or record. •/Algernon broke the record in both the pentathlon and the decathlon and took home two gold medals from the Olympics./
[break through]{v.} To be successful after overcoming a difficulty or bar to success. •/Dr. Salk failed many times but he finally broke through to find a successful polio vaccine./ •/Jim studied very hard this semester in college, and he finally broke through onto the Dean’s List for the first time./
[breakthrough]{n.} A point of sudden success after a long process of experimentation, trial and error. •/The U.S. Space Program experienced a major breakthrough when Armstrong and Aldrin landed on the moon in June of 1969./
[break up]{v. phr.} To end a romantic relationship, a marriage, or a business partnership. •/Tom and Jane broke up because Tom played so much golf that he had no time for her./
[break up]{v.} 1. To break into pieces. •/The workmen broke up the pavement to dig up the pipes under it./ •/River ice breaks up in the spring./ 2. {informal} To lose or destroy spirit or self-control. — Usually used in the passive. •/Mrs. Lawrence was all broken up after her daughter’s death, and did not go out of the house for two months./ Compare: CRACK UP, GO TO PIECES. 3. To come or to put to an end, especially by separation; separate. •/Some men kept interrupting the speakers, and finally broke up the meeting./ •/The party broke up at midnight./ — Often used in the informal phrase "break it up". •/The boys were fighting, and a passing policeman ordered them to break it up./ Compare: CUT OUT(1). 4. {informal} To stop being friends. •/Mary and June were good friends and did everything together, but then they had a quarrel and broke up/ Compare: BREAK OFF.
[break-up]{n.} The end of a relationship, personal or commercial. •/The break-up finally occurred when Smith and Brown decided to sue each other for embezzlement./
[break with]{v.} To separate yourself from; end membership in; stop friendly association with. •/He broke with the Democratic party on the question of civil rights./ •/He had broken with some friends who had changed in their ideas./
[breast] See: MAKE A CLEAN BREAST OF.
[breath] See: CATCH ONE’S BREATH, DRAW A LONG BREATH or TAKE A LONG BREATH, HOLD ONE’S BREATH, IN THE SAME BREATH, OUT OF BREATH, SAVE ONE’S BREATH, SECOND WIND also SECOND BREATH, TAKE ONE’S BREATH AWAY, UNDER ONE’S BREATH, WASTE ONE’S BREATH.
[breathe down one’s neck]{v. phr.}, {informal} To follow closely; threaten from behind; watch every action. •/Too many creditors were breathing down his neck./ •/The carpenter didn’t like to work for Mr. Jones, who was always breathing down his neck./
[breathe easily] or [breathe freely] {v.} To have relief from difficulty or worry; relax; feel that trouble is gone; stop worrying. •/Now that the big bills were paid, he breathed more easily./ •/His mother didn’t breathe easily until he got home that night./
[breathe one’s last]{v. phr.} To die. •/The wounded soldier fell back on the ground and breathed his last./
[bred in the bone]{adj. phr.} Belonging to your nature or character, especially from early teaching or long habit; natural from belief or habit; believing deeply. •/The Willett children’s cleanness is bred in the none./ Often used, with hyphens before the noun. •/Joe is a bred-in-the-bone horseman; he has been riding since he was six./ Contrast: SKIN-DEEP.
[breeches] See: TOO BIG FOR ONE’S BREECHES.
[breeze] See: SHOOT THE BREEZE or BAT THE BREEZE or FAN THE BREEZE, WIN IN A WALK or WIN IN A BREEZE.
[breeze in]{v. phr.}, {slang}, {informal} To walk into a place casually (like a soft blowing wind). •/Betsie breezed in and sat down at the bar./
[brew] See: HOME BREW.
[brick] See: MAKE BRICKS WITHOUT STRAW.
[brick wall] See: STONE WALL.
[bridge] See: BURN ONE’S BRIDGES, CROSS A BRIDGE BEFORE ONE COMES TO IT, WATER OVER THE DAM or WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE.
[brief] See: HOLD A BRIEF FOR, IN BRIEF or IN SHORT or IN A WORD.
[bright and early]{adj. phr.} Prompt and alert; on time and ready; cheerful and on time or before time. •/He came down bright and early to breakfast./ •/She arrived bright and early for the appointment./
[bring about]{v.} To cause; produce; lead to. •/The war had brought about great changes in living./ •/Drink brought about his downfall./
[bring around] or [bring round] {v.} 1. {informal} To restore to health or consciousness cure. •/He was quite ill, but good nursing brought him around./ Compare: BRING TO(1). 2. To cause a change in thinking; persuade; convince; make willing. •/After a good deal of discussion he brought her round to his way of thinking./
[bringdown]{n.}, {slang}, {informal} 1. (from "bring down", past "brought down"). A critical or cutting remark said sarcastically in order to deflate a braggard’s ego. •/John always utters the right bringdown when he encounters a braggard./ 2. A person who depresses and saddens others by being a chronic complainer. •/John is a regular bringdown./
[bring down]{v. phr.}, {slang}, {informal} 1. To deflate (someone’s ego). •/John brought Ted down very cleverly with his remarks./ 2. To depress (someone). •/The funeral brought me down completely./
[bring down about one’s ears] or [bring down around one’s ears] See: ABOUT ONE’S EARS.
[bring down the house]{v. phr.}, {informal} To start an audience laughing or clapping enthusiastically. •/The principal’s story was funny in itself and also touched their loyalties, so it brought down the house./ •/The President made a fine speech which brought down the house./
[bring home]{v.} To show clearly; emphasize; make (someone) realize; demonstrate. •/The accident caused a death in his family, and it brought home to him the evil of drinking while driving./ •/A parent or teacher should bring home to children the value and pleasure of reading./
[bring home the bacon]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To support your family; earn the family living. •/He was a steady fellow, who always brought home the bacon./ 2. To win a game or prize. •/The football team brought home the bacon./
[bring in]{v.} In baseball: To enable men on base to score, score. •/Dick’s hit brought in both base runners./ •/A walk and a triple brought in a run in the third inning./
[bring into line]{v. phr.} To make someone conform to the accepted standard. •/Sam had to be brought into line when he refused to take his muddy shoes off the cocktail table./
[bring off]{v.} To do (something difficult); perform successfully (an act of skill); accomplish (something requiring unusual ability). •/By skillful discussion, Mr. White had brought off an agreement that had seemed impossible to get./ •/He tried several times to break the high jump record, and finally he brought it off./ Compare: PUT OVER(2).
[bring on]{v.} To result in; cause; produce. •/The murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in the summer of 1914 brought on the First World War./ •/Spinal meningitis brought on John’s deafness when he was six years old./ •/Reading in a poor light may bring on a headache./
[bring out]{v.} 1. To cause to appear; make clear. •/His report brought out the foolishness of the plan./ •/Brushing will bring out the beauty of your hair./ 2. To help (an ability or skill) grow or develop. •/The teacher’s coaching brought out a wonderful singing voice of great power and warmth./ 3. To offer to the public by producing, publishing, or selling. •/He brought out a new play./ •/The company brought out a line of light personal airplanes./
[bring round] See: BRING AROUND.
[bring suit against]{v. phr.} To sue someone in a court of law. •/Fred brought suit against Tom for fraud and embezzlement./
[bring to]{v.} (stress on "to") 1. To restore to consciousness; wake from sleep, anesthesia, hypnosis, or fainting. •/Smelling salts will often bring a fainting person to./ Compare: BRING AROUND(1). 2. To bring a ship or boat to a stop. •/Reaching the pier, he brought the boat smartly to./
[bring to a close]{v. phr.} To terminate; cause to end. •/The meeting was brought to an abrupt close when the speaker collapsed with a heart attack./
[bring to a head]{v. phr.} To cause some activity to reach the point of culmination. •/Time is running out, gentlemen, so let us bring this discussion to a head./
[bring to bay]{v. phr.} To chase or force into a place where escape is impossible without a fight; trap; corner. •/The police brought the robber to bay on the roof and he gave up./ •/The fox was brought to bay in a hollow tree and the dogs stood around it barking./ Compare: AT BAY.
[bring to heel] See: TO HEEL.
[bring to light]{v. phr.} To discover (something hidden); find out about; expose. •/Many things left by the ancient Egyptians in tombs have been brought to light by scientists and explorers./ •/His enemies brought to light some foolish things he had done while young, but he was elected anyway because people trusted him./ Compare: COME TO LIGHT.
[bring to one’s knees]{v. phr.} To seriously weaken the power or impair the function of. •/The fuel shortage brought the automobile industry to its knees./
[bring to pass]{v. phr.}, {informal} To make (something) happen; succeed in causing. •/By much planning, the mother brought the marriage to pass./ •/The change in the law was slow in coming, and it took a disaster to bring it to pass./ Compare: BRING ABOUT, COME TO PASS.
[bring to terms]{v. phr.} To make (someone) agree or do; make surrender. •/The two brothers were brought to terms by their father for riding the bicycle./ •/The war won’t end until we bring the enemy to terms./ Contrast: COME TO TERMS.
[bring up]{v.} 1. To take care of (a child); raise, train, educate. •/He gave much attention and thought to bringing up his children./ •/Joe was born in Texas but brought up in Oklahoma./ 2. {informal} To stop; halt. — Usually used with "short". •/He brought the car up short when the light changed to red./ •/Bill started to complain, I brought him up short./ 3. To begin a discussion of; speak of; mention. •/At the class meeting Bob brought up the idea of a picnic./
