breaker

[ brey-ker ]

/ ˈbreɪ kər /

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See synonyms for breaker on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person or thing that breaks.

a wave that breaks or dashes into foam.

Citizens Band Radio Slang. a person who indicates a wish to transmit a message, as by breaking in on a channel.

Also called breaker strip .Automotive. a strip of fabric under the tread of a pneumatic tire casing, designed to protect the carcass.

Textiles.

brake¹ (def. 5).
a machine that separates the fiber from foreign matter in preparation for the carding process.

Also called prairie breaker. a plow with a long, low moldboard for turning virgin land.

Electricity. circuit breaker.

Mining.

a building where coal delivered from a mine is broken up and sorted.
a machine that reduces large lumps of coal or ore to a size that can be accommodated by a conveyor belt.

a break dancer.

interjection

Citizens Band Radio Slang. (used to announce that a person is about to transmit a message or question on a channel, especially one already in use.)

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Origin of breaker

Middle English word dating back to 1125–75; see origin at break, -er¹

synonym study for breaker

2. See wave.

Words nearby breaker

break dance, break dancing, breakdown, breakdown van, breakdown voltage, breaker, breaker card, breakerless ignition, breaker zone, break-even, breakeven chart

Definition for breaker (2 of 2)

breaker²

[ brey-ker ]

/ ˈbreɪ kər /

noun Nautical.

a small water cask for use in a boat.

Origin of breaker

1825–35; said to be alteration of Spanish bareca, variant of barrica small keg

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for breaker

This year’s crop of top singles agree that confidence is a turn on and bad breath is a deal breaker.
Meet D.C.’s Most Eligible LGBTQ Singles|Staff reports|February 11, 2021|Washington Blade
While Graham provided much of the funding, the critical push for the Summer Youth Olympics was spearheaded by the larger dancing community, not the breakers.
How break dancing made the leap from ’80s pop culture to the Olympic stage|Rick Maese|February 9, 2021|Washington Post
In a separate experiment, they mixed the volcanic soil with the appropriate salts and squirted some water into the bottom of the breaker.
Mars’s mascara-like streaks may be caused by slush and landslides|Charlie Wood|February 3, 2021|Popular Science
Janet Yellen, the newly-minted Treasury secretary, is a serial glass-ceiling breaker.
How Janet Yellen keeps breaking glass ceilings|Nicole Goodkind|February 1, 2021|Fortune

As the name suggests, the new product is only available in a hardwired option – which could be a deal breaker for some.
Ring’s new video doorbell is $60|Brian Heater|January 27, 2021|TechCrunch
It's not necessarily a deal-breaker, but it is kind of a top priority.
My Week on Jewish Tinder|Emily Shire|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
There is such a thing in presidential primary politics as a single-issue deal-breaker.
Be the Smarter Bush Brother, Jeb: Don’t Run!|Michael Tomasky|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Mixing meat and dairy is a kosher rule-breaker, so they switched the cheese for potatoes.
I Ate Potato Pancakes Til I Plotzed|Emily Shire|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For Aga Malarczyk, 37, one of more than 50,000 Polish citizens living in Scotland, this is a deal breaker.
Scots Must Choose Heart or Head|Nico Hines|September 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Ariana Grande, leader of men and breaker of chains, makes quick work of the sad cages and frees her friends.
Ariana Grande’s Gay-Friendly Intergalactic Dance Party|Amy Zimmerman|August 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Follow with the big breaker--it wants a strong man to keep that share in--as close as you can.
Winston of the Prairie|Harold Bindloss
This swashing affects not only the broken part of the waves, but all the water between the outer breaker and the shore.
Outlines of the Earth's History|Nathaniel Southgate Shaler
A small keg, or breaker, was thrown overboard and picked up, with a bag of fifteen or twenty pounds of hardtack.
Famous Adventures And Prison Escapes of the Civil War|Various
And then, through a V in the sandhills, the sea had appeared, and the lazy crash of a breaker had been heard.
Mushroom Town|Oliver Onions
The wind shook the house to its crazy foundations and drove the crest of a breaker against the panes.
The Cruise of the Shining Light|Norman Duncan

British Dictionary definitions for breaker (1 of 2)

breaker¹

/ (ˈbreɪkə) /

noun

a person or thing that breaks something, such as a person or firm that breaks up old cars, etc

a large wave with a white crest on the open sea or one that breaks into foam on the shore

electronics short for circuit breaker

a machine or plant for crushing rocks or coal

Also called: breaking plough a plough with a long shallow mouldboard for turning virgin land or sod land

textiles a machine for extracting fibre preparatory to carding

an operator on citizens' band radio

British Dictionary definitions for breaker (2 of 2)

breaker²

/ (ˈbreɪkə) /

noun

a small water cask for use in a boat

Word Origin for breaker

C19: anglicized variant of Spanish barrica, from French (Gascon dialect) barrique

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for breaker

breaker

[ brā′kər ]

A wave that crests or breaks into foam, as against a shoreline.

A circuit breaker.

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