breast

American  

[brest] / brɛst /

noun

breasts plural

1. Anatomy, Zoology. (in bipeds) the outer, front part of the thorax, or the front part of the body from the neck to the abdomen; chest.

2. Zoology. the corresponding part in quadrupeds.

3. either of the pair of mammae occurring on the chest in humans and having a discrete areola around the nipple, especially the mammae of the female after puberty, which are enlarged and softened by hormonally influenced mammary-gland development and fat deposition and which secrete milk after the birth of a child: the breasts of males normally remain rudimentary.

4. the part of a garment that covers the chest.

5. the bosom conceived of as the center of emotion.

   What anger lay in his breast when he made that speech?

6. a projection from a wall, as part of a chimney.

7. any surface or part resembling or likened to the human breast.

8. Mining. the face or heading at which the work is going on.

9. Metallurgy.

   1. the front of an open-hearth furnace.

   2. the clay surrounding the taphole of a cupola.

10. Nautical.

    1. breast line.

    2. a rounded bow.

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verb (used with object)

breasts, present (3rd person singular) breasted, past participle, past breasting present participle

1. to meet or oppose boldly; confront.

   As a controversial public figure he has breasted much hostile criticism.

2. to contend with or advance against.

   The ship breasted the turbulent seas.

3. to climb or climb over (a mountain, obstacle, etc.).

4. to overcome, succeed against.

5. to come alongside or abreast of.

verb phrase

1. breast off

   1. to thrust (a vessel) sideways from a wharf.

   2. to keep (a vessel) away from a wharf by means of timbers.

2. breast in to bind (an object, as a boatswain's chair) securely under a projection, as the flare of a bow.

idioms

1. make a clean breast of, to confess everything (of which one is guilty).

   You'll feel better if you make a clean breast of it.

2. beat one's breast, to display one's grief, remorse, etc., in a loud and demonstrative manner.

breast British  

/ brɛst /

noun

1. the front part of the body from the neck to the abdomen; chest

2. either of the two soft fleshy milk-secreting glands on the chest in sexually mature human females adjective mammary

3. a similar organ in certain other mammals

4. anything that resembles a breast in shape or position

   the breast of the hill

5. a source of nourishment

   the city took the victims to its breast

6. the source of human emotions

7. the part of a garment that covers the breast

8. a projection from the side of a wall, esp that formed by a chimney

9. mining the face being worked at the end of a tunnel

10. to display guilt and remorse publicly or ostentatiously

11. to make a confession of

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verb

1. to confront boldly; face

   breast the storm

2. to oppose with the breast or meet at breast level

   breasting the waves

3. to come alongside of

   breast the ship

4. to reach the summit of

   breasting the mountain top

breast More Idioms  

1. see keep abreast of; make a clean breast of.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• breastless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• breasts
  plural

Participles

• breasting
  present
• breasted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• breast
  simple
• breasts
  simple
• have breasted
  perfect
• has breasted
  perfect
• am breasting
  progressive
• are breasting
  progressive
• is breasting
  progressive
• have been breasting
  perfect progressive
• has been breasting
  perfect progressive

Past

• breasted
  simple
• had breasted
  perfect
• was breasting
  progressive
• were breasting
  progressive
• had been breasting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will breast
  simple
• will have breasted
  perfect
• will be breasting
  progressive
• will have been breasting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of breast

before 1000; Middle English brest, Old English brēost; cognate with Old Norse brjōst; akin to German Brust, Gothic brusts, Dutch borst

Example Sentences

Most importantly, the plaintiffs in these cases never went through male puberty, though they did grow breast tissue and lack testosterone levels typical of men.

From Slate • Jul. 7, 2026

Gene Lanzoni rose up through the ranks in the insurance industry while taking care of his wife, who had breast cancer, as well as his aging parents and in-laws during different periods of his career.

From MarketWatch • Jul. 7, 2026

Jolie’s mother had breast cancer and died of ovarian cancer, and her aunt, who had the same BRCA1 gene defect as Jolie, died of breast cancer three months after Jolie’s operation.

From Salon • Jun. 29, 2026

"It's more likely that someone in their older years will die with breast cancer rather than from breast cancer," Robinson said.

From BBC • Jun. 27, 2026

And I remember the day she told us that she had breast cancer, and explained that she’d known for a while but didn’t want to tell anyone until she knew she was dying.

From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish

Related Words

• bosom
• chest
• nipple