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breech

[ noun breech; verb breech, brich ]
/ noun britʃ; verb britʃ, brɪtʃ /
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See synonyms for: breech / breeched / breeches / breeching on Thesaurus.com

noun
verb (used with object)
Ordnance. to fit or furnish (a gun) with a breech.
to clothe with breeches.
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Origin of breech

First recorded before 1000; Middle English breeche, Old English brēc, plural of brōc; cognate with Old Norse brōk, Old High German bruoh

OTHER WORDS FROM breech

un·breeched, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH breech

breach, breech
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use breech in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for breech

breech

noun (briːtʃ)
verb (briːtʃ, brɪtʃ) (tr)
to fit (a gun) with a breech
archaic to clothe in breeches or any other clothing
See also breeches

Word Origin for breech

Old English brēc, plural of brōc leg covering; related to Old Norse brōk, Old High German bruoh

usage for breech

Breech is sometimes wrongly used as a verb where breach is meant: the barrier/agreement was breached (not breeched)
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
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