Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for bread line. Search instead for Bread lives.

bread line

American  
[bred-lahyn] / ˈbrɛdˌlaɪn /
Or breadline

noun

  1. a group of needy persons waiting in line for free food to be distributed by a government agency or charitable organization.


Etymology

Origin of bread line

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

My pal Tan Vinh tells me the bread line at Q Bakery is a sight to see on weekends.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 15, 2023

Her son was already on the bread line but the cost of living crisis has plunged him into poverty, she said.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2022

On a cold, wet afternoon this week, the mood in the bread line was bleak.

From New York Times • Dec. 15, 2021

A giant mural featuring a bedraggled Jesus standing in the bread line among the hungry.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 21, 2021

If I weren’t haunted by these continual pictures of our offspring in the bread line, I should be rather glad than otherwise that she’s shaken us all till we get our breath back.

From Turn About Eleanor by Cootes, F. Graham

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "bread line" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com