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**breathtaking**
of yesterday would have had someone like Vinny for breakfast! | My concern was that American management was so devoted to the short-term that unless we were careful, the Japanese would wake up one day and have us all for breakfast. — **breakfast v** [I(on)] *We breakfasted early (on eggs and coffee).*
**breakfast, cereal n** [C;U] CEREAL
**breakfast, nook** n *AmE* a small separate area of a room near the kitchen in some houses, which has a table and chairs and is used as a place to eat breakfast
**breakfast television** n [U] television programmes which are broadcast in the early part of the morning, usually a mixture of news, sport, and conversation
**break-in** n the entering of a building illegally and by force: *a break-in at the bank* $\rightarrow$ see also BREAK IN
**breaking and 'entering** n [U] the crime of entering a house by force
**break•neck** /'breiknek/ *adj* [A] very fast and dangerous: *driving at breakneck speed*
**break•out** /'breikaut/ n a violent or forceful escape from an enclosed space or a difficult situation, especially an escape from prison, usually by several prisoners at once $\rightarrow$ see also BREAK OUT
**break-through** /'breikθru:/ n (the making of) an important advance or discovery, often after earlier failures: *a major breakthrough in the treatment of cancer* | *The negotiators have achieved / made a dramatic breakthrough in the arms control talks.* $\rightarrow$ see also BREAK THROUGH
**break-up** /'breikʌp/ n [(of) usually sing.] **1** a coming to an end, especially of a relationship or association: *the breakup of a marriage / of an alliance* **2** a division into smaller parts: *the breakup of the large farms* $\rightarrow$ see also BREAK UP, BREAKDOWN
**break-water** /'breik,wɔːtə* || -,wɔːt-, -,wɑː-/ n a thick wall built out into the sea to lessen the force of the waves
**bream** /briːm/ n pl. **bream** or **breams** a kind of freshwater fish, or a similar saltwater fish (sea bream)
**Bream, Ju•li•an** /'dʒuːljən/ (1933-) a British CLASSICAL musician, known for his GUITAR and LUTE playing
**breast¹** /brest/ n **1** either of the two parts of a woman's body that produce milk: *a baby at its mother's breast/at the breast* | *a breast cancer screening service* $\rightarrow$ compare CHEST **2** the upper front part of the body between the neck and the stomach, especially in birds or animals: *a bird with an orange breast | the breast pocket of a jacket | They had chicken breasts for lunch.* $\rightarrow$ see picture at BIRD **3** lit the part of the body where the feelings are supposed to be: *a troubled breast* $\rightarrow$ compare BOSOM, HEART **4** **make a clean breast of** to tell the whole truth about (something bad that you have done); admit to: *His guilty conscience forced him to make a clean breast of everything.* $\rightarrow$ see also beat one's breast (BEAT¹)
**breast²** v [T] *fml or lit* to meet and push aside with your chest: *The winner of the race breasted the tape. | (fig.) The ship breasted the waves.*
**breast•bone** /'brestbəʊn/ also **sternum** *med* — n the upright bone in the front of the chest, to which the top seven pairs of RIBS are connected
**breast-feed** v **-fed** /fed/ [I;T] (of a woman) to feed (a baby) with milk from the breast, not from a bottle: *breast-fed babies* $\rightarrow$ compare NURSE², SUCKLE
**breast•plate** /'brestpleit/ n a piece of armour worn to protect the chest
**breast 'pocket** n an outside pocket on a shirt or JACKET over the breast, usually used for a handkerchief or pens
**breast•stroke** /'brest-strəʊk/ n [(the)S;U] a way of swimming on one's front, by pushing the arms in front of the head through the water while drawing the knees forwards and outwards, and then sweeping them back while kicking backwards and outwards
**breast•work** /'brestwɜːkl || -wɜːrk/ n a defensive earth wall, usually built as high as a man's chest
**breath** /breθ/ n **1** [U] air taken into and breathed out of the lungs: *I was out of breath / short of breath after running for the bus. | She paused for a few moments to get her breath (back). | Tooth decay often causes bad breath. (=breath that smells bad) | He fiercely criticized her speech, scarcely even pausing for breath/to draw breath between successive points. | Remember to hold your breath (=take no air in) when you dive into the water. | (fig.) All Europe held its breath (=waited anxiously) to see who would win the election. | (infml) He said he'd come as soon as he could, but he's so unreliable, I shouldn't hold your breath. | (lit) The new leader vowed to fight for the rights of his people as long as he had breath. (=until he died)* **2** [C] a single act of breathing air in and out once: *He took a deep breath and then dived into the water. | (fig.) Let's go out for a breath of (fresh) air. | She claimed not to like the place, but in the next breath (=the next moment) said she was taking her holiday there. | He cursed them with his last/dying breath. (=at the last moment of his life)* **3** [S+of] a slight sign of (something); SUGGESTION: *There's a breath of spring in the air today. | the breath of scandal* **4 take someone's breath away** to make someone unable to speak from surprise, pleasure, or shock: *His sheer rudeness took my breath away.* $\rightarrow$ see also BREATHTAKING **5 under one's breath** in a low voice or a whisper **6 don't waste your breath** also **save your breath** spoken used in order to tell someone not to say anything, because there is nothing they can say that will change the situation: *Don't waste your breath making excuses — I can see you're drunk. | If I were you I'd save my breath, Rosalie — he's already made up his mind.* $\rightarrow$ see also with bated breath (BATED), catch one's breath (CATCH¹)
**breath•a•ble** /'briːðəbəl/ adj clothing that is breathable allows air to pass through it easily
**breath•a•lyse** *BrE* || **-lyze** *AmE* /'breθəlaiz/ v [T] *infml* to test (a driver) with a breathalyser
**Breath•a•lys•er** *BrE* **Breathalyzer** *AmE* /'breθəlaizə*/ trademark also **drunkometer** *AmE infml* — n an apparatus used by the police to measure the amount of alcohol that the driver of a car has drunk. In many countries it is illegal to drive after you have drunk more than a legal limit of alcohol.
**breathe** /briːð/ v **1** [I;T(IN, OUT)] to take (air, gas etc) into the lungs and send it out again: *Fish cannot breathe out of water. | The doctor told me to breathe in deeply (=take air in) and then breathe out. | He became ill after breathing (in) coal dust for many years. | They walked through the forest breathing (in) the scent of pines. | She moved to another seat to get away from the man opposite, who was breathing alcohol/tobacco fumes all over her. | I'll remember this day as long as I breathe. (=until I die)* | **breathing apparatus/equipment** *for deep sea divers* **2** [T] to say softly; whisper: *He breathed words of love into her ear. | She breathed a sigh of relief when she heard she had passed the exam. | I don't breathe a word of it to anyone. (=don't tell anyone about it.)* **3** [T(into)] to give or send out as if by breathing: *His enthusiasm breathed new life into the department.* | (fig.) *She really breathes fire when she gets angry!* **4** [I] (of flowers, wine etc) to take in air or feel the effects of air: *Open the wine so that it can breathe before we drink it. | The shoes have leather soles, so your feet can breathe.* **5 breathe again** to feel calm after feeling anxious: *He's gone; you can breathe (freely) again.* **6 breathe down someone's neck** *infml* to keep too close a watch on someone: *I can't work properly with you breathing down my neck all the time.* **7 breathe one's last** *fml or euph* to die — **breathing** n [U] $\rightarrow$ see also HEAVY BREATHING
**breath•er** /'briːðə*/ n *infml* a short pause for a rest: *We've been working quite a long time now: let's have/take a breather.* $\rightarrow$ see also HEAVY BREATHER
**'breathing space** n [S;U] (a) a short period when one is free from work, worry, pressure etc: *They gave her a breathing space of two weeks before she had to pay back the debt.*
**breath•less** /'breθləs/ adj **1** breathing heavily or with difficulty: *By the time I got to the top I was completely breathless.* **2** causing one to stop breathing or breathe with difficulty: *a breathless silence during the exciting last game of the tennis match | breathless haste / hurry* **3** with no wind: *a hot and breathless afternoon* — **-ly** *adv* — **-ness** n [U]
**breath•tak•ing** /'breθ,teikıŋ/ adj **1** very exciting; *a breathtaking finish to the race* **2** very surprising or shocking; causing ASTONISHMENT: *breathtaking beauty/stupidity/rudeness* — **-ly** *adv: breathtakingly beautiful*