breast

[brest]

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noun

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.

Zoology. the corresponding part in quadrupeds.

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.

the part of a garment that covers the chest.

the bosom conceived of as the center of emotion: What anger lay in his breast when he made that speech?

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

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

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

Metallurgy.

the front of an open-hearth furnace.
the clay surrounding the taphole of a cupola.

Nautical.

breast line.
a rounded bow.

verb (used with object)

to meet or oppose boldly; confront: As a controversial public figure he has breasted much hostile criticism.

to contend with or advance against: The ship breasted the turbulent seas.

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

to overcome, succeed against.

to come alongside or abreast of.

Verb Phrases

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

breast off, Nautical.

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

Idioms

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

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.

Origin of breast

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

Related formsbreast·less, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for breast

chest, bosom, nipple, heart, front, bust, udder, mammilla, teat, core, being, character, mind, soul, psyche, spirit, emotions, sentiments, thoughts

Examples from the Web for breast

Contemporary Examples of breast

He tore a piece of meat off the breast and stroked her coat while she ate.
The Stacks: A Chicken Dinner That Mends Your Heart
Pete Dexter
December 7, 2014
My girlfriend, Barbara, came to visit me and exposed her breast through the window.
The Unbelievable (True) Story of the World’s Most Infamous Hash Smuggler
Marlow Stern
November 14, 2014
It carries a conditioner that contains triclosan, which has been linked to promoting the growth of breast cancer cells.
The Misogynistic Companies Jumping On The Breast Cancer Bandwagon
Emily Shire
October 16, 2014
Business Insider calculated that only about eight percent of the money spent on pink merchandise went to breast cancer charities.
The Misogynistic Companies Jumping On The Breast Cancer Bandwagon
Emily Shire
October 16, 2014
Hooters is cleverly asking me to “Give a Hoot” about breast cancer.
The Misogynistic Companies Jumping On The Breast Cancer Bandwagon
Emily Shire
October 16, 2014

Historical Examples of breast

Methought anon you saw me go down with three pikes in my breast.
The Armourer's Prentices
Charlotte M. Yonge
Her cries and pleadings were being smothered down on his breast.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
Then with astonishing clearness he saw her hand resting against her breast.
Way of the Lawless
Max Brand
The coverlet dropped from her breast; her hand was suspended with stiff fingers.
Way of the Lawless
Max Brand
She hid her face on his breast against his tickly coat, and cried.
Life and Death of Harriett Frean
May Sinclair

British Dictionary definitions for breast

breast

noun

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

either of the two soft fleshy milk-secreting glands on the chest in sexually mature human femalesadjective mammary

a similar organ in certain other mammals

anything that resembles a breast in shape or positionthe breast of the hill

a source of nourishmentthe city took the victims to its breast

the source of human emotions

the part of a garment that covers the breast

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

mining the face being worked at the end of a tunnel

beat one's breast to display guilt and remorse publicly or ostentatiously

make a clean breast of to make a confession of

verb (tr)

to confront boldly; facebreast the storm

to oppose with the breast or meet at breast levelbreasting the waves

to come alongside ofbreast the ship

to reach the summit ofbreasting the mountain top

Word Origin for breast

Old English brēost; related to Old Norse brjōst, Old High German brust, Dutch borst, Swedish bräss, Old Irish brū belly, body

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

Word Origin and History for breast

Old English breost "breast, bosom; mind, thought, disposition," from Proto-Germanic *breustam "breast" (cf. Old Saxon briost, Old Frisian briast, Old Norse brjost, Dutch borst, German brust, Gothic brusts), perhaps literally "swelling" and from PIE root *bhreus- "to swell, sprout" (cf. Middle Irish bruasach "having a broad, strong chest," Old Irish bruinne "breast"). The spelling conforms to the Scottish and northern England dialectal pronunciation. Figurative sense of "seat of the emotions" was in Old English.

breast in Medicine

breast

[brĕst]

n.

Either of two milk-secreting, glandular organs on the chest of a woman; mammary gland; mamma.

A corresponding rudimentary gland in the male.

The superior ventral surface of the human body, extending from the neck to the abdomen.

Idioms and Phrases with breast

breast

see keep abreast of; make a clean breast of.