breakfast

American  

[brek-fuhst] / ˈbrɛk fəst /

noun

1. the first meal of the day; morning meal.

   A hearty breakfast was served at 7 a.m.

2. the food eaten at the first meal of the day.

   a breakfast of bacon and eggs.

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verb (used without object)

1. to eat breakfast.

   He breakfasted on bacon and eggs.

verb (used with object)

1. to supply with breakfast.

   We breakfasted the author in the finest restaurant.

breakfast British  

/ ˈbrɛkfəst /

noun

1. 1. the first meal of the day

   2. ( as modifier )

      breakfast cereal

      a breakfast room

2. the food at this meal

3. (in the Caribbean) a midday meal

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verb

1. to eat or supply with breakfast

Other Word Forms

• breakfaster noun
• breakfastless adjective
• postbreakfast adjective

Etymology

Origin of breakfast

First recorded in 1425–75, breakfast is from the late Middle English word brekfast. See break, fast ²

Example Sentences

The burger chain will introduce a lower-priced menu and new $4 breakfast meal deals, as it seeks to reclaim its value image.

From The Wall Street Journal

"Our breakfast service is very busy, and even basic items like omelettes and pancakes could become difficult to make, which will definitely hurt business."

From Barron's

Walking through the aisles of his grocery store in Brooklyn, New York, Alap Vora points to a box of breakfast cereal.

From BBC

That includes stronger breakfast promotions, as McDonald’s morning meals have experienced the greatest pullback from lower-income consumers, according to an internal company message sent earlier this year and viewed by the Journal.

From The Wall Street Journal

“OK. One: What did you have for breakfast?”

From Literature

Related Words

• brunch