breadbasket

American  

[bred-bas-kit, -bah-skit] / ˈbrɛdˌbæs kɪt, -ˌbɑ skɪt /

noun

1. a basket or similar container for bread or rolls.

2. an agricultural area that provides large amounts of food, especially grain, to other areas.

3. Slang. a person's stomach or abdomen.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a geographical breadbasket.

   Iowa is a breadbasket state.

breadbasket British  

/ ˈbrɛdˌbɑːskɪt /

noun

1. a basket for carrying bread or rolls

2. a slang word for stomach

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Etymology

Origin of breadbasket

First recorded in 1545–55; bread + basket

Example Sentences

Experts warned that Ukraine is Europe’s breadbasket and Europe would starve.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 18, 2026

A barley risotto studded with dried autumn mushrooms follows, Finland’s breadbasket turned into comfort.

From Salon • Mar. 8, 2026

By late August, further south in the province of Punjab, floods had submerged 4,500 villages, overwhelming "Pakistan's breadbasket", in a country that can't always afford to import enough food.

From BBC • Nov. 1, 2025

"Saint Elizabeth is the breadbasket of the country, and that has taken a beating. The entire Jamaica has felt the brunt of Melissa."

From Barron's • Oct. 29, 2025

This, bear in mind, is the breadbasket of America, an area that produces roughly half the world’s cereals.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

Related Words

• abdomen
• gut
• insides
• pelvis
• tank
• tummy