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.

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Etymology

Origin of bread line

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

It’s another scuffle at a bread line and it appears that a bakery in Beirut has been illegally hoarding subsidized wheat imports.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 8, 2022

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

His first entrée into politics comes when he’s plucked from a bread line and offered $2 to fraudulently vote for the incumbent mayor.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2021

It might participate in a bread line during the Great Depression, create a funeral procession for Judy Garland, or rearrange 80 chairs.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 20, 2017

"Denver has no bread line," I read on the bill-boards.

From Abroad at Home American Ramblings, Observations, and Adventures of Julian Street by Street, Julian