breaststroke

American  

[brest-strohk, bres-] / ˈbrɛstˌstroʊk, ˈbrɛs- /

noun

1. Swimming. a stroke made in the prone position, in which both hands move simultaneously forward, outward, and rearward from in front of the chest while the legs move in a frog kick.

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verb (used without object)

breaststroked, breaststroking

1. to swim using the breaststroke.

breaststroke British  

/ ˈbrɛstˌstrəʊk /

noun

1. a swimming stroke in which the arms are extended in front of the head and swept back on either side while the legs are drawn up beneath the body and thrust back together

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Other Word Forms

• breaststroker
  noun

Etymology

Origin of breaststroke

First recorded in 1865–70; breast + stroke ¹

Explanation

The breaststroke is a swimming style that doesn't require you to turn your head or upper body. When you swim the breaststroke, your arms and legs make frog-like movements through the water. Many recreational swimmers use the breaststroke, which keeps you on your chest, popping your head straight up to take a breath between strokes. It's also the slowest competitive swimming stroke, but it still requires powerfully strong shoulders and arms. The frog kick part of the breaststroke propels you forward under water, and the arm movement happens as you come up for air.

Example Sentences

He made the decision after it was confirmed the 50m breaststroke event would be added to the schedule in 2028.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

French swim star Leon Marchand out-dueled Denis Petrashov to win the 200m breaststroke at the Austin Pro Swim Series on Saturday, closing out the meeting with his third victory of the week.

From Barron's • Jan. 18, 2026

She made Olympic history two years later when, aged 15, she became the youngest person to win the 100m breaststroke.

From BBC • May 19, 2025

Granada Hills won all three relays and sophomore Isabella San Jose won the 200 individual medley in 2:08.62 and the 100 breaststroke in 1:03.69, then anchored the 4x100 freestyle relay.

From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2025

He alternated between doing the crawl, which was fastest, and the breaststroke, which was slower but allowed him to see where he was going and to see what else was floating toward him.

From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret