english
1
general::
break up
STOP CLASSES
2. UK When schools and colleges, or the teachers and students who go to them break up, their classes stop and the holidays start
• We broke up for the holidays in June., break sth up
[ M ]
to divide into many pieces, or to divide something into many pieces
• The company has been broken up and sold off., break (sth) up
[ M ]
If an occasion when people meet breaks up or someone breaks it up, it ends and people start to leave
• The meeting broke up at ten to three.
• I don't want to break up the party but I have to go now., break out
ESCAPE
2. to escape from prison
• They broke out of prison and fled the country., break into sth
to suddenly begin to do something
• He felt so happy that he broke into song (= suddenly began to sing).
• She walked quickly, occasionally breaking into a run (= starting to run)., break up
STOP BEING HEARD
3. If someone who is talking on a mobile phone is breaking up, their voice can not fully be heard. , break in
to interrupt when someone else is talking
• As she was talking, he suddenly broke in, saying, "That's a lie"., break sth off
[ M ] SEPARATE
1. to separate a part from a larger piece, or to become separate
• He broke off a piece of chocolate., break away
ESCAPE
1. to leave or to escape from someone who is holding you
• He grabbed her, but she managed to break away.
• figurative: One or two of the tourists broke away from the tour group., break (sth) off
to suddenly stop speaking or doing something
• She broke off in the middle of a sentence., break out
START
1. If something dangerous or unpleasant breaks out, it suddenly starts
• War broke out in 1914.
• Fighting has broken out all over the city., break down
COMMUNICATION
2. If a system, relationship or discussion breaks down, it fails because there is a problem or disagreement. , break sb in
[ M ]
If you break someone in, you train them to do a new job or activity
• The boss did not believe in breaking his staff in gently., break with sth
to intentionally not continue doing something that is normal, expected or traditional
• We decided to break with tradition and not spend Christmas with our family.
• The country's leadership is determined to break with past practices and to solve urgent economic problems., break up
END RELATIONSHIP
1. If a marriage breaks up or two people in a romantic relationship break up, their marriage or their relationship ends
• Jenny and George have broken up.
• She's just broken up with her boyfriend., break sth in
[ M ]
1. to wear new shoes or use new equipment for short periods to make them more comfortable
• My new hiking boots will be great once I've broken them in., break down
MACHINE
1. If a machine or vehicle breaks down, it stops working
• Our car broke down and we had to push it off the road., break through sth
to force yourself through something that is holding you back
• Protesters broke through the barriers., break away
NOT AGREE
2. to stop being part of a group because you begin to disagree with them
• In the early 1980s some members of the British Labour Party broke away to form the Social Democratic Party., break sth off
[ M ] RELATIONSHIP
2. to end a relationship
• They've broken off their engagement.
• The governments have broken off diplomatic relations., break down
CRY
3. to be unable to control your feelings and to start to cry
• When we gave her the bad news, she broke down and cried.
Cambridge-Phrasal Verbs
2
general::
noun short rest/holiday ADJ. short | coffee, lunch, tea | Christmas, Easter Are you going away for the Easter break? VERB + BREAK have, take We'll take a break now and resume in half an hour. | need BREAK + NOUN time PREP. at ~ I'll see you at break. | during (a/the) ~ I had a word with John during the break. | without a ~ We worked all day without a break. | ~ for a break for lunch | ~ from a break from looking after the children change/interruption in sth ADJ. clean, complete | career | commercial VERB + BREAK make His new work makes a break with the past. I wanted to leave but was nervous about making the break. PREP. ~ from a break from tradition | ~ in a break in the weather | ~ with opportunity ADJ. big, lucky VERB + BREAK get I always knew I would get my lucky break one day. | give sb He's the director who gave her her first big break., verb ADV. easily | in half, in two She broke the chocolate bar in two and gave a piece to me. | up She broke the chocolate up into small pieces. PREP. into The glass broke into hundreds of pieces. PHRASAL VERBS break down fail ADV. completely, irretrievably They were divorced on the grounds that their marriage had broken down irretrievably. start crying PHRASES break down and cry/weep, break down in tears She broke down in tears as she spoke to reporters. break off ADV. abruptly He broke off abruptly when Jo walked in. PREP. from She broke off from the conversation to answer the telephone.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
3
general::
Phrase(s): break something off
1. to end a relationship abruptly. (See also break off (with someone).) • I knew she was getting ready to break it off, but Tom didn’t. • After a few long and bitter arguments, they broke off their relationship. 2. Go to break something off (of) something., Phrase(s): *a break a chance
another chance or a second chance. (*Typically: get ~; have ~; give someone ~.) • I’m sorry. Please don’t send me to the principal’s office. Give me a break! • I got a nice break. They didn’t send me to prison., Phrase(s): break (up) (into something)
to divide into smaller parts. • The glass broke up into a thousand pieces. • It hit the floor and broke up, flinging bits everywhere.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs
4
general::
break
break + NOUN
break your promise
• I’ll never forgive him for breaking his promise to me.
break your word
(= break your promise )
• I’ve promised to do it and I never break my word.
break your vow
(= break a serious or formal promise )
• He accused her of breaking her marriage vows.
break (off) your engagement
• In the end she decided to break their engagement.
break a contract
• He took the company to court for breaking the contract.
break an agreement
• This action broke the international agreement of 1925.
break 2
verbs
have/take a break
• After two hours, she took a break and switched on the radio.
need a break
• I’m sorry, I can’t do any more - I need a break.
ADJECTIVES/NOUN + break
a short/quick break
• Shall we have a quick five-minute break?
a lunch break
• What time’s your lunch break?
a coffee/tea break
• How about a coffee break?
a morning/afternoon break
• I don’t usually have time for a morning break.
a well-earned break
(= one that you deserve )
• Everyone’s looking forward to a well-earned break when the exams are over.
transnet.ir
5
general::
verb
separate:
Do not break my pencil.
verb
shatter:
He will break my glasses.
verb
give up:
He may break under stress.
verb
decipher:
We will break their code.
noun
pause:
Take a break for lunch.
noun
crack:
Her arm has a break in it.
Simple Definitions
6
general::
to break something
break
verb [ transitive ] to damage something and make it separate into pieces, for example by dropping it or hitting it:
• Careful you don’t break the chair. • He broke his leg.
smash
verb [ transitive ] to break something with a lot of force:
• A policeman smashed his camera.
snap
verb [ transitive ] to break something into two pieces, making a loud noise – used especially about long thin objects:
• He snapped the sticks in two.
split
verb [ transitive ] to separate something into two pieces along a straight line:
• Using a sharp knife, split the melon in half.
fracture
verb [ transitive ] to damage a bone, especially so that a line appears on the surface:
• I fell over and fractured my wrist.
tear
verb [ transitive ] to damage paper or cloth by pulling it so that it separates into pieces:
• She tore up the letter and put it in the bin. • I tore my jacket.
to become broken
break
verb [ intransitive ] to become damaged and separate into pieces:
• Plastic breaks quite easily.
smash
verb [ intransitive ] to break after being hit with a lot of force:
• The bowl smashed as it hit the floor.
shatter
verb [ intransitive ] to break into a lot of small pieces:
• The glass shattered all over the pavement.
crack
verb [ intransitive ] if something cracks, a line appears on the surface, which means that it could later break into separate pieces:
• The ice was starting to crack.
burst
verb [ intransitive ] if a tyre, balloon, pipe etc bursts, it gets a hole and air or liquid suddenly comes out of it:
• She blew up the balloon until it burst.
split
verb [ intransitive ] to break in a straight line:
• The damp had caused the wood to split.
crumble
verb [ intransitive ] to break into a powder or a lot of small pieces:
• The cork just crumbled in my hand.
Longman-Thesaurus
7
general::
In addition to the idioms beginning with BREAK, Also see GET A BREAK; GIVE SOMEONE A BREAK; MAKE A BREAK FOR IT; MAKE OR BREAK; NEVER GIVE A SUCKER AN EVEN BREAK; TAKE A BREAK; TOUGH BREAK. Also see under BROKE.
American Heritage Idioms