English Dictionary: Broken | by the DICT Development Group |
5 results for Broken | |
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
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From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Break \Break\, v. t. [imp. {broke}, (Obs. {Brake}); p. p. {Broken}, (Obs. {Broke}); p. pr. & vb. n. {Breaking}.] [OE. breken, AS. brecan; akin to OS. brekan, D. breken, OHG. brehhan, G. brechen, Icel. braka to creak, Sw. braka, br[84]kka to crack, Dan. br[91]kke to break, Goth. brikan to break, L. frangere. Cf. {Bray} to pound, {Breach}, {Fragile}.] 1. To strain apart; to sever by fracture; to divide with violence; as, to break a rope or chain; to break a seal; to break an axle; to break rocks or coal; to break a lock. --Shak. 2. To lay open as by breaking; to divide; as, to break a package of goods. 3. To lay open, as a purpose; to disclose, divulge, or communicate. Katharine, break thy mind to me. --Shak. 4. To infringe or violate, as an obligation, law, or promise. Out, out, hyena! these are thy wonted arts . . . To break all faith, all vows, deceive, betray. --Milton 5. To interrupt; to destroy the continuity of; to dissolve or terminate; as, to break silence; to break one's sleep; to break one's journey. Go, release them, Ariel; My charms I'll break, their senses I'll restore. --Shak. 6. To destroy the completeness of; to remove a part from; as, to break a set. 7. To destroy the arrangement of; to throw into disorder; to pierce; as, the cavalry were not able to break the British squares. 8. To shatter to pieces; to reduce to fragments. The victim broke in pieces the musical instruments with which he had solaced the hours of captivity. --Prescott. 9. To exchange for other money or currency of smaller denomination; as, to break a five dollar bill. 10. To destroy the strength, firmness, or consistency of; as, to break flax. 11. To weaken or impair, as health, spirit, or mind. An old man, broken with the storms of state. --Shak. 12. To diminish the force of; to lessen the shock of, as a fall or blow. I'll rather leap down first, and break your fall. --Dryden. 13. To impart, as news or information; to broach; -- with to, and often with a modified word implying some reserve; as, to break the news gently to the widow; to break a purpose cautiously to a friend. 14. To tame; to reduce to subjection; to make tractable; to discipline; as, to break a horse to the harness or saddle. [bd]To break a colt.[b8] --Spenser. Why, then thou canst not break her to the lute? --Shak. 15. To destroy the financial credit of; to make bankrupt; to ruin. With arts like these rich Matho, when he speaks, Attracts all fees, and little lawyers breaks. --Dryden. 16. To destroy the official character and standing of; to cashier; to dismiss. I see a great officer broken. --Swift. Note: With prepositions or adverbs: {To break down}. (a) To crush; to overwhelm; as, to break down one's strength; to break down opposition. (b) To remove, or open a way through, by breaking; as, to break down a door or wall. {To break in}. (a) To force in; as, to break in a door. (b) To train; to discipline; as, a horse well broken in. {To break of}, to rid of; to cause to abandon; as, to break one of a habit. {To break off}. (a) To separate by breaking; as, to break off a twig. (b) To stop suddenly; to abandon. [bd]Break off thy sins by righteousness.[b8] --Dan. iv. 27. {To break open}, to open by breaking. [bd]Open the door, or I will break it open.[b8] --Shak. {To break out}, to take or force out by breaking; as, to break out a pane of glass. {To break out a cargo}, to unstow a cargo, so as to unload it easily. {To break through}. (a) To make an opening through, as, as by violence or the force of gravity; to pass violently through; as, to break through the enemy's lines; to break through the ice. (b) To disregard; as, to break through the ceremony. {To break up}. (a) To separate into parts; to plow (new or fallow ground). [bd]Break up this capon.[b8] --Shak. [bd]Break up your fallow ground.[b8] --Jer. iv. 3. (b) To dissolve; to put an end to. [bd]Break up the court.[b8] --Shak. {To break} (one) {all up}, to unsettle or disconcert completely; to upset. [Colloq.] Note: With an immediate object: {To break the back}. (a) To dislocate the backbone; hence, to disable totally. (b) To get through the worst part of; as, to break the back of a difficult undertaking. {To break bulk}, to destroy the entirety of a load by removing a portion of it; to begin to unload; also, to transfer in detail, as from boats to cars. {To break cover}, to burst forth from a protecting concealment, as game when hunted. {To break a deer} [or] {stag}, to cut it up and apportion the parts among those entitled to a share. {To break fast}, to partake of food after abstinence. See {Breakfast}. {To break ground}. (a) To open the earth as for planting; to commence excavation, as for building, siege operations, and the like; as, to break ground for a foundation, a canal, or a railroad. (b) Fig.: To begin to execute any plan. (c) (Naut.) To release the anchor from the bottom. {To break the heart}, to crush or overwhelm (one) with grief. {To break a house} (Law), to remove or set aside with violence and a felonious intent any part of a house or of the fastenings provided to secure it. {To break the ice}, to get through first difficulties; to overcome obstacles and make a beginning; to introduce a subject. {To break jail}, to escape from confinement in jail, usually by forcible means. {To break a jest}, to utter a jest. [bd]Patroclus . . . the livelong day breaks scurril jests.[b8] --Shak. {To break joints}, to lay or arrange bricks, shingles, etc., so that the joints in one course shall not coincide with those in the preceding course. {To break a lance}, to engage in a tilt or contest. {To break the neck}, to dislocate the joints of the neck. {To break no squares}, to create no trouble. [Obs.] {To break a path}, {road}, etc., to open a way through obstacles by force or labor. {To break upon a wheel}, to execute or torture, as a criminal by stretching him upon a wheel, and breaking his limbs with an iron bar; -- a mode of punishment formerly employed in some countries. {To break wind}, to give vent to wind from the anus. Syn: To dispart; rend; tear; shatter; batter; violate; infringe; demolish; destroy; burst; dislocate. | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Broken \Bro"ken\ (br[omac]"k'n), a. [From {Break}, v. t.] 1. Separated into parts or pieces by violence; divided into fragments; as, a broken chain or rope; a broken dish. 2. Disconnected; not continuous; also, rough; uneven; as, a broken surface. 3. Fractured; cracked; disunited; sundered; strained; apart; as, a broken reed; broken friendship. 4. Made infirm or weak, by disease, age, or hardships. The one being who remembered him as he been before his mind was broken. --G. Eliot. The broken soldier, kindly bade to stay, Sat by his fire, and talked the night away. --Goldsmith. 5. Subdued; humbled; contrite. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. --Ps. li. 17. 6. Subjugated; trained for use, as a horse. 7. Crushed and ruined as by something that destroys hope; blighted. [bd]Her broken love and life.[b8] --G. Eliot. 8. Not carried into effect; not adhered to; violated; as, a broken promise, vow, or contract; a broken law. 9. Ruined financially; incapable of redeeming promises made, or of paying debts incurred; as, a broken bank; a broken tradesman. 10. Imperfectly spoken, as by a foreigner; as, broken English; imperfectly spoken on account of emotion; as, to say a few broken words at parting. Amidst the broken words and loud weeping of those grave senators. --Macaulay. {Broken ground}. (a) (Mil.) Rough or uneven ground; as, the troops were retarded in their advance by broken ground. (b) Ground recently opened with the plow. {Broken line} (Geom.), the straight lines which join a number of given points taken in some specified order. {Broken meat}, fragments of meat or other food. {Broken number}, a fraction. {Broken weather}, unsettled weather. | |
From Jargon File (4.2.0, 31 JAN 2000) [jargon]: | |
broken adj. 1. Not working properly (of programs). 2. Behaving strangely; especially (when used of people) exhibiting extreme depression. | |
From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (15Feb98) [foldoc]: | |
broken Not working properly (of programs). |