breaker

¹ American  

[brey-ker] / ˈbreɪ kər /

noun

1. a person or thing that breaks.

2. a wave that breaks or dashes into foam.

3. Citizens Band Radio Slang.  a person who indicates a wish to transmit a message, as by breaking in on a channel.

4. Also called breaker strip.  Automotive.  a strip of fabric under the tread of a pneumatic tire casing, designed to protect the carcass.

5. Textiles.

   1. brake.

   2. a machine that separates the fiber from foreign matter in preparation for the carding process.

6. Also called prairie breaker.  a plow with a long, low moldboard for turning virgin land.

7. Electricity.  circuit breaker.

8. Mining.

   1. a building where coal delivered from a mine is broken up and sorted.

   2. a machine that reduces large lumps of coal or ore to a size that can be accommodated by a conveyor belt.

9. a break dancer.

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interjection

1. Citizens Band Radio Slang.  (used to announce that a person is about to transmit a message or question on a channel, especially one already in use.)

breaker ² American  

[brey-ker] / ˈbreɪ kər /

noun

Nautical.

1. a small water cask for use in a boat.

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breaker ¹ British  

/ ˈbreɪkə /

noun

1. a person or thing that breaks something, such as a person or firm that breaks up old cars, etc

2. a large wave with a white crest on the open sea or one that breaks into foam on the shore

3. electronics short for circuit breaker

4. a machine or plant for crushing rocks or coal

5. Also called: breaking plough.  a plough with a long shallow mouldboard for turning virgin land or sod land

6. textiles a machine for extracting fibre preparatory to carding

7. an operator on citizens' band radio

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breaker ² British  

/ ˈbreɪkə /

noun

1. a small water cask for use in a boat

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breaker Scientific  

/ brā′kər /

1. A wave that crests or breaks into foam, as against a shoreline.

2. A circuit breaker.

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Related Words

See wave.

Etymology

Origin of breaker¹

First recorded in 1125–75; break + -er ¹ ( def. )

Origin of breaker¹

First recorded in 1825–35; said to be alteration of Spanish bareca, variant of barrica “small keg”

Example Sentences

There is no punting in touch football, but there’s always going to be a rule breaker who can’t help but punt the ball.

From The Wall Street Journal

The style Matthiessen conjures is almost visual, with fragments of scene description and lines of unattributed dialogue arranged on the page like solitary brushstrokes or like breakers of spume on the open sea.

From The Wall Street Journal

"Notwithstanding the imposition of circuit breaker restrictions, the decision-making in Northern Ireland was chaotic," it said.

From BBC

They campaign for a short "circuit breaker" lockdown to try to drive down infections.

From BBC

March 2024 was out because soldiers were needed to patrol beach towns filled with American spring breakers.

From Los Angeles Times