Breastwork
Breast″work′ (brĕst″wûrk′), n. 1. (Fort.) A defensive work of moderate height, hastily thrown up, of earth or other material.2. (Naut.) A railing on the quarter-deck and forecas...
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, C. & G. Merriam Co., 1913.
5.996 entries
Breast″work′ (brĕst″wûrk′), n. 1. (Fort.) A defensive work of moderate height, hastily thrown up, of earth or other material.2. (Naut.) A railing on the quarter-deck and forecas...
Breath (brĕth), n. [OE. breth, breeth, AS. brǣð odor, scent, breath; cf. OHG. brādam steam, vapor, breath, G. brodem, and possibly E. Brawn, and Breed.] 1. The air inhaled and e...
Breath″a‐ble (brēt͡h″ȧ‐b'l), a. Such as can be breathed.
Breath″a‐ble‐ness, n. State of being breathable.
Breathe (brēt͡h), v. i. [imp. & p. p.Breathed (�); p. pr. & vb. n.Breathing.] [From Breath.]1. To respire; to inhale and exhale air; hence;, to live. “I am in health, I breathe....
Breathe, v. t. 1. To inhale and exhale in the process of respiration; to respire.To view the light of heaven, and breathe the vital air.Dryden.2. To inject by breathing; to infu...
Breath″er (�), n. 1. One who breathes. Hence: (a) One who lives.(b) One who utters. (c) One who animates or inspires.2. That which puts one out of breath, as violent exercise.
Breath″ful (�), a. Full of breath; full of odor; fragrant.
Breath″ing (�), n. 1. Respiration; the act of inhaling and exhaling air.Subject to a difficulty of breathing.Melmoth.2. Air in gentle motion.3. Any gentle influence or operation...
Breath″less (brĕth″lĕs), a. 1. Spent with labor or violent action; out of breath.2. Not breathing; holding the breath, on account of fear, expectation, or intense interest; atte...
Breath″less‐ly, adv. In a breathless manner.
Breath″less‐ness, n. The state of being breathless or out of breath.
‖Brec″cia (�), n. [It., breach, pebble, fragments of stone, fr. F. brèche; of German origin. See Breach.] (Geol.) A rock composed of angular fragments either of the same mineral...
Brec″ci‐a′ted (�), a. Consisting of angular fragments cemented together; resembling breccia in appearance.The brecciated appearance of many specimens.H. A. Newton.
Bred (�), imp. & p. p. of Breed.Bred out, degenerated. “The strain of man's bred out into baboon and monkey.” Shak. — Bred to arms. See under Arms. — Well bred. (a) Of a good fa...
{ Brede, orBreede } (�), n. Breadth. Chaucer.
Brede (�), n. [See Braid woven cord.] A braid.Half lapped in glowing gauze and golden brede.Tennyson.
Breech (�), n. [See Breeches.] 1. The lower part of the body behind; the buttocks.2. Breeches. Shak.3. The hinder part of anything; esp., the part of a cannon, or other firearm,...
Breech, v. t. [imp. & p. p.Breeched (�); p. pr. & vb. n.Breeching (�).] 1. To put into, or clothe with, breeches.A great man... anxious to know whether the blacksmith's youngest...
Breech action. The breech mechanism in breech-loading small arms and certain special guns, as automatic and machine guns; — used frequently in referring to the method by which t...
{ Breech″ pin′ (�), Breech″ screw′ } (�). A strong iron or steel plug screwed into the breech of a musket or other firearm, to close the bottom of the bore.
Breech″ sight′ (�). A device attached to the breech of a firearm, to guide the eye, in conjunction with the front sight, in taking aim.
Breech″–load′ing, a. Receiving the charge at the breech instead of at the muzzle.
Breech″block (�), n. The movable piece which closes the breech of a breech-loading firearm, and resists the backward force of the discharge. It is withdrawn for the insertion of...
Breech″cloth′ (�), n. A cloth worn around the breech.
Breech″es (�), n. pl. [OE. brech, brek, AS. brēk, pl. of brōc breech, breeches; akin to Icel. brōk breeches, ODan. brog, D. broek, G. bruch; cf. L. bracae, braccae, which is of ...
Breech″ing (�), n. 1. A whipping on the breech, or the act of whipping on the breech.I view the prince with Aristarchus' eyes,Whose looks were as a breeching to a boy.Marlowe.2....