breaking

¹ American  

[brey-king] / ˈbreɪ kɪŋ /

adjective

1. (of a news story) currently developing or having happened recently and being released for publication or airing, as on television or radio, in print, or on the internet.

   Our network aims to be your trusted source for breaking news, local weather, and sports.

2. coming into being suddenly.

   When I awoke, it was breaking day over the eastern horizon.

3. changing or collapsing suddenly.

   This is a photograph of a breaking wave in the subantarctic waters of the Southern Ocean.

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breaking ² American  

[brey-king] / ˈbreɪ kɪŋ /

noun

1. Phonology.  the change of a pure vowel to a diphthong, especially in certain environments, as, in Old English, the change of a vowel to a diphthong under the influence of a following consonant or combination of consonants, as the change of -a- to -ea- and of -e- to -eo- before preconsonantal r or l and before h, as in earm “arm” developed from arm, and eorthe “earth” from erthe.

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breaking ³ American  

[brey-king] / ˈbreɪ kɪŋ /

noun

1. break dancing.

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breaking British  

/ ˈbreɪkɪŋ /

noun

1. linguistics (in Old English, Old Norse, etc) the change of a vowel into a diphthong

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Etymology

Origin of breaking¹

First recorded in 1930–35; break ( def. ) (in the sense “to release a news story for publication”) + -ing ² ( def. )

Origin of breaking¹

First recorded in 1870–75; translation of German Brechung; break, -ing ¹

Origin of breaking¹

First recorded in 1980–85; by ellipsis

Example Sentences

The Red Scare followed—the government arrested and deported radicals, breaking unions like the IWW and hobbling labor for a decade.

From The Wall Street Journal

Police spokesperson Ferry Walintukan said there were reports of people breaking into shops on Sumatra, and police had been sent in to restore order, the Associated Press news agency reported.

From BBC

A "democratic whip" system will allow the CEC to instruct MPs to vote in line with party policy on crucial issues, though local branches will decide any sanctions for breaking the whip.

From BBC

The thieves broke into the farm overnight into Monday, cutting a border fence before breaking into farm buildings, but a complaint was only filed with police later in the week, news site Franceinfo reported.

From BBC

In April 1930, Gandhi concluded his pivotal salt march, breaking the British monopoly on salt production - a charged symbol of colonial misrule.

From BBC