bread

American  

[bred] / brɛd /

noun

breads plural

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)

breads, present (3rd person singular) breaded, past participle, past breading present participle

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

Derived Forms

• breadlessness
  noun
• breadless
  adjective
• unbreaded
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• breads
  plural

Participles

• breading
  present
• breaded
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• bread
  simple
• breads
  simple
• have breaded
  perfect
• has breaded
  perfect
• am breading
  progressive
• are breading
  progressive
• is breading
  progressive
• have been breading
  perfect progressive
• has been breading
  perfect progressive

Past

• breaded
  simple
• had breaded
  perfect
• was breading
  progressive
• were breading
  progressive
• had been breading
  perfect progressive

Future

• will bread
  simple
• will have breaded
  perfect
• will be breading
  progressive
• will have been breading
  perfect progressive

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

Arthur Bryant’s has my favorite ribs, and when you order, they bring out a whole loaf of Wonder Bread, which is still very novel and exciting to me.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

Bread pudding doesn’t ask for perfection or specialty ingredients.

From Salon • May 25, 2026

The Bread and Butter Thing has 111 hubs around the country and aims to make everyday essentials affordable.

From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026

Bread has been a dietary staple for thousands of years, and sourdough is experiencing a renewed surge in popularity.

From Science Daily • Mar. 16, 2026

Bread making was not one of my more highly developed skills.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson

Related Words

• cabbage
• dough