jawbreaker

[jaw-brey-ker]

noun

Informal. a word that is hard to pronounce.

a very hard, usually round, candy.

Also called jaw crusher. Mining. a machine used to break up ore, consisting of a fixed plate and a hinged jaw moved by a toggle joint.

Origin of jawbreaker

First recorded in 1830–40; jaw¹ + breaker¹

Related formsjaw·break·ing, adjectivejaw·break·ing·ly, adverb

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

Examples from the Web for jaw-breaker

Historical Examples of jaw-breaker

In fact, she almost did forget them once or twice at moments when Janet McFadden was busy sucking the jaw-breaker.
A Little Question in Ladies' Rights
Parker Fillmore

British Dictionary definitions for jaw-breaker

jawbreaker

noun

Also called: jawcrusher a device having hinged jaws for crushing rocks and ores

informal a word that is hard to pronounce

Derived Formsjawbreaking, adjectivejawbreakingly, adverb

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 jaw-breaker

also jawbreaker 1839, "word hard to pronounce" (jawbreakingly, in reference to pronouncing words, is from 1824), from jaw (n.) + agent noun from break (v.). As a type of candy, by 1911.