word-vault

{ "term": "break", "partOfSpeech": "verb", "ox3000": true, "cefr": "a1", "verbForms": { "presentSimple": { "iYouWeThey": "break", "heSheIt": "breaks" }, "pastSimple": "broke", "pastParticiple": "broken", "ingForm": "breaking" }, "definitions": [ { "senseNumber": 1, "definition": "to be damaged and separated into two or more parts, as a result of force; to damage something in this way", "sensetop": "break in/into somethingbreak somethingbreak something in/into something", "labels": "(especially British English)(informal)(formal)(especially North American English)(British English)(especially British English)(North American English)(formal)(British English)(North American English)", "cefr": "a1", "ox3000": true, "examples": [ { "text": "All the windows broke with the force of the blast." }, { "text": "The bag broke under the weight of the bottles inside it." }, { "text": "She dropped the plate and it **broke into pieces**.", "contextForm": "break in/into something" }, { "text": "The boat hit a rock and **broke in half**." }, { "text": "to break a cup/window", "contextForm": "break something" }, { "text": "She fell off a ladder and broke her arm." }, { "text": "to break a leg/bone" }, { "text": "He **broke** the chocolate **in two**.", "contextForm": "break something in/into something" }, { "text": "The glass broke into hundreds of pieces." }, { "text": "How did this dish get broken?" }, { "text": "I didn't mean to break the window." }, { "text": "She broke the bar of chocolate in two and gave one half to me." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 2, "definition": "to stop working as a result of being damaged; to damage something and stop it from working", "sensetop": "break something", "cefr": "a1", "ox3000": true, "examples": [ { "text": "My watch has broken." }, { "text": "I think I've broken the washing machine.", "contextForm": "break something" } ], "topics": ["Engineering"] }, { "senseNumber": 3, "definition": "to cut the surface of the skin and make it bleed", "sensetop": "break the skin", "cefr": "b1", "examples": [ { "text": "The dog bit me but didn't break the skin." } ], "topics": ["Health problems"] }, { "senseNumber": 4, "definition": "to do something that is against the law; to not keep a promise, etc.", "sensetop": "break something", "cefr": "b1", "ox3000": true, "examples": [ { "text": "I had **broken the law** and deserved to be punished." }, { "text": "People should not be allowed to **break the rules**." }, { "text": "to **break a promise**" }, { "text": "to break an agreement/a contract/your word" }, { "text": "to break an appointment *(= not to come to it)*" }, { "text": "He was breaking the speed limit *(= travelling faster than the law allows)*." }, { "text": "They insist that they have not broken any rules." }, { "text": "Would you be willing to break the law to achieve your goal?" }, { "text": "She had broken the conditions of her bail." }, { "text": "He has already broken three appointments." }, { "text": "Some companies have broken sanctions by supplying arms to the warring states." }, { "text": "I've never broken my word; why should I do it now?" }, { "text": "Perhaps it is more courageous to break a promise if it means saving the economy." } ], "topics": ["Crime and punishment"] }, { "senseNumber": 5, "definition": "to stop doing something for a while, especially when it is time to eat or have a drink", "sensetop": "break for somethingbreak something", "labels": "(especially British English)", "examples": [ { "text": "Let's **break for lunch**.", "contextForm": "break for something" }, { "text": "Parliament breaks for recess next week." }, { "text": "We broke early and went for a drink." }, { "text": "Their sleep was broken by noise from the street.", "contextForm": "break something" }, { "text": "We broke our journey in Oxford *(= stopped in Oxford on the way to the place we were going to)*." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 6, "definition": "to interrupt something so that it ends suddenly", "sensetop": "break something", "examples": [ { "text": "She **broke the silence** by coughing." }, { "text": "A tree **broke his fall** *(= stopped him as he was falling)*." }, { "text": "The phone rang and broke my train of thought." }, { "text": "Someone laughed suddenly and the spell was broken." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 7, "definition": "to make something end by using force or strong action", "sensetop": "break something", "examples": [ { "text": "an attempt to break the year-long siege" }, { "text": "Management has not succeeded in **breaking the strike**." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 8, "definition": "to end a connection with something or a relationship with somebody", "sensetop": "break something", "examples": [ { "text": "He broke all ties with his parents." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 9, "definition": "to manage to get away from or out of a position in which they have been caught", "sensetop": "break free (from somebody/something)", "examples": [ { "text": "He finally managed to break free from his attacker." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 10, "definition": "to destroy something or make somebody/something weaker; to become weak or be destroyed", "sensetop": "break (somebody/something)", "examples": [ { "text": "to break somebody’s morale/resistance/resolve/spirit" }, { "text": "The government was determined to break the power of the trade unions." }, { "text": "The scandal broke him *(= ruined his reputation and destroyed his confidence)*." }, { "text": "She broke under questioning *(= was no longer able to bear it)* and confessed to everything." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 11, "definition": "to win a game in which it is your opponent's turn to serve (= hit the ball across the net first)", "sensetop": "break somebody's serve", "examples": [ { "text": "Williams broke her opponent's serve five times." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 12, "definition": "to make somebody feel so sad, lonely, etc. that they cannot live a normal life", "sensetop": "break somebody", "cefr": "c2", "examples": [ { "text": "The death of his wife broke him completely." } ], "topics": ["Feelings"] }, { "senseNumber": 13, "definition": "to change suddenly, usually after a period when it has been fine", "examples": [ { "text": "On the third day the weather broke and they had a violent storm." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 14, "definition": "to show an opening", "examples": [ { "text": "The clouds broke and the sun came out." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 15, "definition": "to come up through the surface of water in the sea, a pool, etc.", "sensetop": "break the surface", "examples": [ { "text": "When his head broke the surface he took in deep gulps of air." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 16, "definition": "when the day or dawn or a storm breaks, it begins", "cefr": "c1", "examples": [ { "text": "Dawn was breaking when they finally left." } ], "topics": ["Weather"] }, { "senseNumber": 17, "definition": "if a piece of news breaks, it becomes known", "examples": [ { "text": "There was a public outcry when the scandal broke." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 18, "definition": "to be the first to tell somebody some bad news", "sensetop": "break it/the news to somebody", "examples": [ { "text": "Who's going to break it to her?" }, { "text": "I'm sorry to be the one to break the news to you." }, { "text": "Just break the news to him gently." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 19, "definition": "if somebody’s voice breaks, it changes its tone because of emotion", "examples": [ { "text": "Her voice broke as she told us what had happened." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 20, "definition": "when a boy’s voice breaks, it becomes permanently deeper at about the age of 13 or 14", "cefr": "c2", "examples": [], "topics": ["Life stages"] }, { "senseNumber": 21, "definition": "to do something better, faster, etc. than anyone has ever done it before", "sensetop": "break a record", "ox3000": true, "examples": [ { "text": "She had broken the world 100 metres record." }, { "text": "The movie broke all box-office records." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 22, "definition": "when waves break, they fall and are dissolved into foam, usually near land", "examples": [ { "text": "the sound of waves breaking on the beach" }, { "text": "The sea was breaking over the wrecked ship." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 23, "definition": "to find the meaning of something secret", "sensetop": "break a code/cipher", "examples": [ { "text": "He needed only twenty minutes to break the encryption code." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 24, "definition": "to change a banknote for coins", "sensetop": "break something", "labels": "(especially North American English)", "examples": [ { "text": "Can you break a twenty-dollar bill?" } ] } ], "pronunciations": { "uk": [ { "pronunciation": "/breɪk/", "audio": "br/break/break__gb_1.mp3" }, { "pronunciation": "/breɪks/", "audio": "br/break/breaks__gb_1.mp3" }, { "pronunciation": "/brəʊk/", "audio": "br/break/broke__gb_1.mp3" }, { "pronunciation": "/ˈbrəʊkən/", "audio": "br/break/broken__gb_1.mp3" }, { "pronunciation": "/ˈbreɪkɪŋ/", "audio": "br/break/breaking__gb_1.mp3" } ], "us": [ { "pronunciation": "/breɪk/", "audio": "br/break/break__us_1.mp3" }, { "pronunciation": "/breɪks/", "audio": "br/break/breaks__us_1.mp3" }, { "pronunciation": "/brəʊk/", "audio": "br/break/broke__us_1.mp3" }, { "pronunciation": "/ˈbrəʊkən/", "audio": "br/break/broken__us_1.mp3" }, { "pronunciation": "/ˈbreɪkɪŋ/", "audio": "br/break/breaking__us_1.mp3" } ] }, "wordOrigin": "Old English brecan (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch breken and German brechen, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin frangere ‘to break’." }