bread line

Or bread·line

[bred-lahyn]

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of bread line¹

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

He’s amiable but outraged, delivering a blistering critique of the country’s high unemployment rate, bread lines and uneven wealth distribution.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Scuffles broke out among people waiting in bread lines.

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

Read more on Seattle Times

Long bread lines recently plagued the country, where around two thirds of the population of 6 million, including 1 million Syrian refugees, now lives in poverty.

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Like a color remake of Depression-era imagery: the factory entrance, the bread line.

Read more on New York Times