breaststroke

American  

[brest-strohk, bres-] / ˈbrɛstˌstroʊk, ˈbrɛs- /

noun

• breaststrokes
  plural

1. Swimming. a stroke made in the prone position, in which both hands move simultaneously forward, outward, and rearward from in front of the chest while the legs move in a frog kick.

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verb (used without object)

breaststroked, breaststroking

1. to swim using the breaststroke.

breaststroke British  

/ ˈbrɛstˌstrəʊk /

noun

1. a swimming stroke in which the arms are extended in front of the head and swept back on either side while the legs are drawn up beneath the body and thrust back together

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• breaststroker
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• breaststrokes
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of breaststroke

First recorded in 1865–70; breast + stroke ¹

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Explanation

The breaststroke is a swimming style that doesn't require you to turn your head or upper body. When you swim the breaststroke, your arms and legs make frog-like movements through the water. Many recreational swimmers use the breaststroke, which keeps you on your chest, popping your head straight up to take a breath between strokes. It's also the slowest competitive swimming stroke, but it still requires powerfully strong shoulders and arms. The frog kick part of the breaststroke propels you forward under water, and the arm movement happens as you come up for air.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

breaststroke breaststrokes breaststroked breaststroking

Also in the pool, Japanese swimmer Shin Ohashi, himself only 17, smashed the men's 200m breaststroke world record to delight the home crowd.

From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026

Nowacki made history for Jersey last month by claiming gold in the 200m breaststroke at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

Adam Ramsay-Peaty was beaten for the first time at a European Aquatics Championships as he finished fifth in the 100m breaststroke final in Paris.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

Ramsay-Peaty later took part in Great Britain's mixed 4x100m medley relay final, swimming an impressive split of 58.9 in the breaststroke leg, but the team finished fourth.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

I imagined the big man as wide across his back and tanned as the dark turtle and just as unflappable as it did a slow breaststroke from end to end.

From "Hole in My Life" by Jack Gantos

He ping-ponged to breaststrokes, and then to floating.

From New York Times ● Aug. 29, 2014

He was trying for multiple gold medals at the 2004 Games after setting world records in the 100 and 200 breaststrokes at the trials and wound up with a silver and a bronze.

From New York Times ● Jul. 14, 2012

It is the map of an obstinate man with 737 doubles who still flings himself flat and breaststrokes like a gopher into second base.

From Time Magazine Archive

I know how to float how to dog paddle how to hold my breath between breaststrokes.

From "Bronx Masquerade" by Nikki Grimes

Descending the rickety ladder, I pushed off into the water and breaststroked to the deepest part, at the center, to avoid entanglement with hidden weeds and roots.

From The New Yorker ● Jan. 20, 2020

He held his breath and breaststroked over to the rocky bench.

From "Touching Spirit Bear" by Ben Mikaelsen

Flossie breaststroked quietly around for a minute before swimming to the poolside nearest Shorty, where she rested, arms folded on the tile border, chin resting on her arms.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols

“At least there’s no wind,” McArthur cheerfully noted, as we started breaststroking toward the buoy.

From The New Yorker ● Jan. 20, 2020

Some members descended into the water in bathing suits and pointy witch hats, breaststroking around like black crows that had taken a turn for the aquatic.

From The New Yorker ● Jan. 20, 2020

Here, I swim through a canyon filled with green water of such violent luminosity that it's like breaststroking through a radioactive Midori cocktail.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 14, 2013

He is a son of nearby Belle Harbor and speaks without bravado of plunging into the chest-high 50-degree waters and breaststroking past live wires to save a young mother and her children.

From New York Times ● Nov. 13, 2012

Wilcox’s dad was breaststroking people out of his way.

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

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