English Online Dictionary. What means breast? What does breast mean?
English
Alternative forms
- brest (obsolete)
Etymology
From Middle English brest, from Old English brēost, from Proto-West Germanic *breust, from Proto-Germanic *breustą, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrews- (“to swell”). Compare West Frisian boarst, Danish bryst, Swedish bröst; cf. also Dutch borst, German Brust.
Pronunciation
- enPR: brĕst, IPA(key): /bɹɛst/
- Rhymes: -ɛst
- Homophone: Brest
Noun
breast (plural breasts)
- (anatomy) Either of the two organs on the front of a female human's chest, which contain the mammary glands; also the analogous organs in males.
- (anatomy) The chest, or front of the human thorax.
- A section of clothing covering the breast area.
- The figurative seat of the emotions, feelings etc.; one’s heart or innermost thoughts.
- The ventral portion of an animal’s thorax.
- A choice cut of poultry, especially chicken or turkey, taken from the bird’s breast; also a cut of meat from other animals, breast of mutton, veal, pork.
- The front or forward part of anything.
- The upper surface of a landform or body of water.
- (mining) The face of a coal working.
- (mining) The front of a furnace.
- (obsolete) The power of singing; a musical voice.
- (swimming) The breaststroke.
Synonyms
- (female organs): See also Thesaurus:breasts
- (chest): chest
- (seat of emotions): heart, soul
- (cut of poultry): white meat
- (cut of meat): brisket
Antonyms
- (antonym(s) of “cut of poultry”): thigh, wing, dark meat
Derived terms
Translations
Verb
breast (third-person singular simple present breasts, present participle breasting, simple past and past participle breasted)
- (transitive, often figurative) To push against with the breast; to meet full on, oppose, face.
- To reach the top (of a hill).
- (transitive, cooking) To debreast.
Translations
Anagrams
- Baster, Be star, Sterba, Tarbes, abrest, barest, baster, bestar, rebats, tabers
Irish
Alternative forms
- briost
Etymology
From beir as (“carry off”); the -t is excrescent (compare aríst from arís).
Pronunciation
- (Ulster) IPA(key): /bʲɾʲɨsˠt̪ˠ/ (corresponds to the form briost)
Interjection
breast
- expresses disapproval or contempt (generally followed by a disjunctive pronoun)
- Breast thú! ― Up yours!
- Breast seo! ― Screw this!
- Breast í! ― The hell with her!
References
Further reading
- Dinneen, Patrick S. (1927) “breast”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 2nd edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 121; reprinted with additions 1996, →ISBN
- Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “breast”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN