breakfront

American  

[breyk-fruhnt] / ˈbreɪkˌfrʌnt /

adjective

1. (of a cabinet, bookcase, etc.) having a central section extending forward from those at either side.

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noun

1. a cabinet or the like having such a front.

breakfront British  

/ ˈbreɪkˌfrʌnt /

adjective

1. (prenominal) (of a bookcase, bureau, etc) having a slightly projecting central section

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Etymology

Origin of breakfront

First recorded in 1925–30; break + front

Example Sentences

Tucked between a George II mahogany breakfront secretaire bookcase and a series of manuscript and watercolor maps showing the waterways of Venice, Clausen found a type of antiquated nautical map known as a portolan chart.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 25, 2023

It’s a nice place, just 25 seats, with mismatched silver and dishes that look as if they were plucked from your favorite grandmother’s breakfront.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 3, 2017

It was the second time the men had been in the store, with its antique chandeliers and walls of breakfront cabinets filled with vases, ornate clocks, statues and other finely wrought objects.

From New York Times • Sep. 22, 2016

She ended up paying just $500 — the discount price — for the dining room table, six matching chairs, two buffet tables and a breakfront.

From New York Times • Jan. 27, 2011

So that night, as dishes were passed around a silent table, and as the clock on the breakfront chimed the quarter hours, Turner decided he would dare the silence and ask.

From "Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy" by Gary D. Schmidt