breeching

[ brich-ing, bree-ching ]
See synonyms for breeching on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the part of a harness that passes around the haunches of a horse.

  2. a smoke pipe connecting one or more boilers with a chimney.

  1. Navy. (formerly) a strong rope fastened to a ship's side for securing a gun or checking its recoil.

Origin of breeching

1
First recorded in 1505–15; breech + -ing1

Words Nearby breeching

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use breeching in a sentence

  • We had made shoulder straps, hip straps, breast straps and breeching as the correct idea for a harness.

    Death Valley in '49 | William Lewis Manly
  • In the patent breeching, the screws do not interfere with the touch-hole, and the ignition is quicker in the main chamber.

  • There was another halt while the breeching underwent temporary repairs.

    Thankful's Inheritance | Joseph C. Lincoln
  • The breeching for this should be very strong and broad, and the belt well stuffed, and stitched like a mattress.

    Riding for Ladies | Mrs. Power O'Donoghue
  • "They are empty," said Gerald, breeching his own and exposing the cylinder chambers, with the light shining through.

    Sons and Fathers | Harry Stillwell Edwards

British Dictionary definitions for breeching

breeching

/ (ˈbrɪtʃɪŋ, ˈbriː-) /


noun
  1. the strap of a harness that passes behind a horse's haunches

  2. navy (formerly) the rope used to check the recoil run of a ship's guns or to secure them against rough weather

  1. the parts comprising the breech of a gun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012