noun
- Anatomy, Zoology. (in bipeds) the outer, front part of the thorax, or the front part of the body from the neck to the abdomen; chest.
- Zoology. the corresponding part in quadrupeds.
- either of the pair of mammae occurring on the chest in humans and having a discrete areola around the nipple, especially the mammae of the female after puberty, which are enlarged and softened by hormonally influenced mammary-gland development and fat deposition and which secrete milk after the birth of a child: the breasts of males normally remain rudimentary.
- the part of a garment that covers the chest.
- the bosom conceived of as the center of emotion: What anger lay in his breast when he made that speech?
- a projection from a wall, as part of a chimney.
- any surface or part resembling or likened to the human breast.
- Mining. the face or heading at which the work is going on.
- Metallurgy.
- the front of an open-hearth furnace.
- the clay surrounding the taphole of a cupola.
- Nautical.
- breast line.
- a rounded bow.
verb (used with object)
- to meet or oppose boldly; confront: As a controversial public figure he has breasted much hostile criticism.
- to contend with or advance against: The ship breasted the turbulent seas.
- to climb or climb over (a mountain, obstacle, etc.).
- to overcome, succeed against.
- to come alongside or abreast of.
Verb Phrases
- breast in, Nautical. to bind (an object, as a boatswain’s chair) securely under a projection, as the flare of a bow.
- breast off, Nautical.
- to thrust (a vessel) sideways from a wharf.
- to keep (a vessel) away from a wharf by means of timbers.
- beat one’s breast, to display one’s grief, remorse, etc., in a loud and demonstrative manner.
- make a clean breast of, to confess everything (of which one is guilty): You’ll feel better if you make a clean breast of it.
noun
- the front part of the body from the neck to the abdomen; chest
- either of the two soft fleshy milk-secreting glands on the chest in sexually mature human femalesadjective mammary
- a similar organ in certain other mammals
- anything that resembles a breast in shape or positionthe breast of the hill
- a source of nourishmentthe city took the victims to its breast
- the source of human emotions
- the part of a garment that covers the breast
- a projection from the side of a wall, esp that formed by a chimney
- mining the face being worked at the end of a tunnel
- beat one’s breast to display guilt and remorse publicly or ostentatiously
- make a clean breast of to make a confession of
verb (tr)
- to confront boldly; facebreast the storm
- to oppose with the breast or meet at breast levelbreasting the waves
- to come alongside ofbreast the ship
- to reach the summit ofbreasting the mountain top
Old English breost “breast, bosom; mind, thought, disposition,” from Proto-Germanic *breustam “breast” (cf. Old Saxon briost, Old Frisian briast, Old Norse brjost, Dutch borst, German brust, Gothic brusts), perhaps literally “swelling” and from PIE root *bhreus- “to swell, sprout” (cf. Middle Irish bruasach “having a broad, strong chest,” Old Irish bruinne “breast”). The spelling conforms to the Scottish and northern England dialectal pronunciation. Figurative sense of “seat of the emotions” was in Old English.
n.
- Either of two milk-secreting, glandular organs on the chest of a woman; mammary gland; mamma.
- A corresponding rudimentary gland in the male.
- The superior ventral surface of the human body, extending from the neck to the abdomen.
see keep abreast of; make a clean breast of.