breakage

American  

[brey-kij] / ˈbreɪ kɪdʒ /

noun

breakages plural

1. the act of breaking; state of being broken.

2. the amount or quantity of things broken.

   There was a great deal of breakage in that shipment of glassware.

3. an allowance or compensation for the loss or damage of articles broken in transit or in use.

4. the money accrued by a racetrack from calculating the payoff to winning pari-mutuel bettors only in multiples of dimes for each dollar bet.

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breakage British  

/ ˈbreɪkɪdʒ /

noun

1. the act or result of breaking

2. the quantity or amount broken

   the total breakage was enormous

3. compensation or allowance for goods damaged while in use, transit, etc

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• rebreakage
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• breakages
  plural

Etymology

Origin of breakage

First recorded in 1805–15; break + -age

Example Sentences

To reach weapons-grade—93% or higher—the material must be spun in sensitive centrifuges that are subject to breakage.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026

He also asserted "that he had no intention of fleeing and that there was no breakage of the bracelet's strap."

From Barron's • Nov. 24, 2025

Historically, cables in Taiwan, Vietnam and Egypt have all been vulnerable to breakage and sabotage.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2025

It was just like a bro-code breakage, and I said, "That's it. I'm done with the guy."

From Salon • May 18, 2024

I heard a voice say, followed by the sounds of breakage, and finally footsteps receding.

From "Crispin: The Cross of Lead" by Avi