ALL meanings of break off
break off
B b - phrasal verb break off If part of something breaks off or if you break it off, it comes off or is removed by force. 3
- phrasal verb break off If you break off when you are doing or saying something, you suddenly stop doing it or saying it. 3
- phrasal verb break off If someone breaks off a relationship, they end it. 3
- verb break off to sever or detach or be severed or detached 3
- verb break off to end (a relationship, association, etc) or (of a relationship, etc) to be ended 3
- verb break off to stop abruptly; halt 3
- noun break off the act or an instance of breaking off or stopping 3
- noun break off to stop abruptly, as in talking 3
- noun break off to stop being friendly or intimate 3
- noun break off an act or instance of breaking; disruption or separation of parts; fracture; rupture: There was a break in the window. 1
- noun break off an opening made by breaking; gap: The break in the wall had not been repaired. 1
- noun break off a rush away from a place; an attempt to escape: a break for freedom. 1
- noun break off a sudden dash or rush, as toward something: When the rain lessened, I made a break for home. 1
- noun break off a suspension of or sudden rupture in friendly relations. 1
- noun break off an interruption of continuity; departure from or rupture with: Abstract painters made a break with the traditions of the past. 1
- noun break off an abrupt or marked change, as in sound or direction, or a brief pause: They noticed a curious break in his voice. 1
- noun break off Informal. an opportunity or stroke of fortune, especially a lucky one. a chance to improve one's lot, especially one unlooked for or undeserved. 1
- noun break off the breaks, Informal. the way things happen; fate: Sorry to hear about your bad luck, but I guess those are the breaks. 1
- noun break off a brief rest, as from work: The actors took a ten-minute break from rehearsal. 1
- noun break off Radio, Television. a brief, scheduled interruption of a program or broadcasting period for the announcement of advertising or station identification. 1
- noun break off Prosody. a pause or caesura. 1
- noun break off Jazz. a solo passage, usually of from 2 to 12 bars, during which the rest of the instruments are silent. 1
- noun break off Music. the point in the scale where the quality of voice of one register changes to that of another, as from chest to head. 1
- noun break off break dancing. 1
- noun break off a sharp and considerable drop in the prices of stock issues. 1
- noun break off Electricity. an opening or discontinuity in a circuit. 1
- noun break off Printing. one or more blank lines between two paragraphs. breaks, suspension points. 1
- noun break off the place, after a letter, where a word is or may be divided at the end of a line. 1
- noun break off a collapse of health, strength, or spirit; breakdown. 1
- noun break off Informal. an indiscreet or awkward remark or action; social blunder; faux pas. 1
- noun break off Billiards, Pool. a series of successful strokes; run. 1
- noun break off Pool. the opening play, in which the cue ball is shot to scatter the balls. 1
- noun break off Sports. a change in direction of a pitched or bowled ball. 1
- noun break off Horse Racing, Track. the start of a race. 1
- noun break off (in harness racing) an act or instance of a horse's changing from a trot or pace into a gallop or other step. 1
- noun break off Bowling. a failure to knock down all ten pins in a single frame. 1
- noun break off Boxing. an act or instance of stepping back or separating from a clinch: a clean break. 1
- noun break off any of several stages in the grinding of grain in which the bran is separated from the kernel. 1
- noun break off Botany. a sport. 1
- noun break off Journalism. the point at the bottom of a column where a printed story is carried over to another column or page. 1
- noun break off Nautical. the place at which a superstructure, deckhouse, or the like, rises from the main deck of a vessel. 1
- noun break off breaks, Physical Geography. an area dissected by small ravines and gullies. 1
- noun break off Mining. a fault or offset, as in a vein or bed of ore. 1
- verb with object break off to smash, split, or divide into parts violently; reduce to pieces or fragments: He broke a vase. 1
- verb with object break off to infringe, ignore, or act contrary to (a law, rule, promise, etc.): She broke her promise. 1
- verb with object break off to dissolve or annul (often followed by off): to break off friendly relations with another country. 1
- verb with object break off to fracture a bone of (some part of the body): He broke his leg. 1
- verb with object break off to lacerate; wound: to break the skin. 1
- verb with object break off to destroy or interrupt the regularity, uniformity, continuity, or arrangement of; interrupt: The bleating of a foghorn broke the silence. The troops broke formation. 1
- verb with object break off to put an end to; overcome; stop: His touchdown run broke the tie. She found it hard to break the cigarette habit. 1