bread

American  

[bred] / brɛd /

noun

1. a kind of food made of flour or meal that has been mixed with milk or water, made into a dough or batter, with or without yeast or other leavening agent, and baked.

2. food or sustenance; livelihood.

   to earn one's bread.

3. Slang. money.

4. Ecclesiastical. the wafer or bread used in a Eucharistic service.

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verb (used with object)

1. Cooking. to cover with breadcrumbs or meal.

idioms

1. know which side one's bread is buttered on, to be aware of those things that are to one's own advantage.

2. take the bread out of someone's mouth, to deprive someone of livelihood.

3. cast one's bread upon the waters, to act generously or charitably with no thought of personal gain.

4. break bread,

   1. to eat a meal, especially in companionable association with others.

   2. to distribute or participate in Communion.

bread British  

/ brɛd /

noun

1. a food made from a dough of flour or meal mixed with water or milk, usually raised with yeast or baking powder and then baked

2. necessary food; nourishment

   give us our daily bread

3. a slang word for money

4. Christianity a small loaf, piece of bread, or wafer of unleavened bread used in the Eucharist

5. something offered as a means of distracting attention from a problem or grievance

6. See break

7. to do good without expectation of advantage or return

8. to know what to do in order to keep one's advantages

9. to deprive someone of a livelihood

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verb

1. (tr) to cover with breadcrumbs before cooking

   breaded veal

bread More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing bread

• break bread
• greatest thing since sliced bread
• know which side of bread is buttered
• take the bread out of someone's mouth

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Other Word Forms

• breadless
  adjective
• breadlessness
  noun
• unbreaded
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of bread

before 950; 1950–55 bread for def. 3; Middle English breed, Old English brēad fragment, morsel, bread; cognate with German Brot

Example Sentences

Outside, migrant women, some with children, left carrying plastic bags filled with basics such as bread and toothpaste.

From Barron's • May 25, 2026

No dessert in my kitchen feels more fundamentally improvisational than bread pudding.

From Salon • May 25, 2026

The bread itself naturally softens and rounds everything out, so you don’t need an alarming amount to make it feel indulgent.

From Salon • May 25, 2026

Farmers and producers keep supermarket shelves stocked with eggs, milk and bread - but their costs have risen well above the rate of inflation over the last year.

From BBC • May 24, 2026

Because the sunflower seed butter had plastered the bread to the roof of my mouth and the back of my throat.

From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows

Related Words

• cabbage
• dough