Word meaning break down

To Break Down Meaning

Definition: To stop functioning, collapse in emotion, or lose willpower.

This phrasal verb has a variety of meanings. One is (and the earliest) when a machine stops working completely. Usually, it is something with an engine or motor—like a computer or car—but not always. A carriage may break down, meaning that it falls apart to the ground.

A second meaning is an emotional breakdown, where the person gets so overwhelmed that he or she breaks down and can no longer perform the task he or she is required to do. This is often accompanied by an overflow of tears, though it can also be pure exhaustion.

A third meaning is when someone pesters you for long enough that you break down and agree to what he or she says.

Origin of To Break Down

From the late 1300s, break down, or go to pieces, was connected with the word failure of material objects. We started seeing it as both a noun (breakdown) and a verb (to break down) by the mid- to late-1800s.

There is an early example of transportation breaking down in Max Pemberton’s 1894 The Iron Pirate:

The great ship still trembled under the shock of the breakdown and was not showing ten knots.

The idea of breaking down first came with machinery, as the vehicle did not just break, it broke into pieces that fell down to the ground and rendered the vehicle unusable. Breaking a piece of something is different in that the mechanism can still function while breaking down means that the mechanism cannot run unless repaired.

By 1904, this phrase describes a mental breakdown. In Thomas W. Lawson’s Frenzied Finance we can read,

The first time was in 1887, following a breakdown from overwork.

Examples of To Break Down

In the modern day, people use break down in all three of its meanings.

For example,

Their car broke down while driving to Pennsylvania.

My sister broke down when her beloved cat died.

I finally broke down and agreed to go to the concert with my friend, even though I had an exam the next day.

More Examples

In 2005, one border project was harshly criticized by lawmakers after it was reported that cameras broke down frequently. –New York Times

“Difficult to describe emotions,” [Rafa] Nadal, who broke down in tears when he congratulated [Grigor] Dimitrov after the match, said. –Times of India

Summary

Define breaking down: a failure of any sort, be it emotional, physical, or mental.

Contents

1 To Break Down Meaning
2 Origin of To Break Down
3 Examples of To Break Down
4 More Examples
5 Summary

Источник

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break down

1. verb Of a machine, to malfunction or break altogether. I’m afraid the blender is breaking down. It stopped working again today. She didn’t come to the party because her car broke down on the way here.

2. verb To fail or cease. Negotiations have broken down again, and I’m starting to worry that we’ll never reach an agreement for a new contract.

3. verb To destroy a physical structure. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between «break» and «down.» I’ll break this door down if you don’t come out here right now!

4. verb To dismantle a societal obstacle. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between «break» and «down.» We owe a lot to the pioneering activists of earlier eras, who battled prejudice and broke down barriers.

5. verb To lose control of one’s emotions, especially sadness or grief. My mother seemed fine this morning, but she completely broke down at the funeral and cried through the whole thing.

6. verb To methodically explain something step by step. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between «break» and «down.» Can you break down the healthcare proposal to me? I’m not very well informed about it.

7. verb To reduce something to its component parts. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between «break» and «down.» If you break down water, it’s just hydrogen and oxygen molecules. We need to break down the equipment and pack the truck as quickly as possible once the gig is over.

8. verb To get someone else to do what one wants, often by coercion. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is typically used between «break» and «down.» I’ll threaten him if I have to—anything to break him down and get that classified information from him. The prosecutor was able to break down the defendant until he confessed.

9. verb To give in to pressure; to acquiesce. If we keep asking mom and dad to get pizza, eventually they’ll break down and order it.

10. noun A state of collapse that is typically induced by some form of stress. In this usage, the phrase is typically written as one word. Once I learned the extent of my injuries, I had a complete breakdown and didn’t leave my room for weeks. The coup was followed by a complete societal breakdown. The breakdown of our supply line was caused by an excessive demand.

11. noun A methodical, step-by-step explanation of something. In this usage, the phrase is typically written as one word. Can you give me a breakdown of the healthcare proposal? I’m not very well informed about it.

12. noun An itemized list. In this usage, the phrase is typically written as one word. We’d like to see a breakdown of the bill so we can see everything we’ve been charged for.

break it down

1. To explain something in steps. I know it can be confusing, but once I break it down for you, I think you’ll start to get it.

2. Stop! Quit it! Primarily heard in Australia. You guys are making too much noise—break it down!

break someone down

to force someone to give up and tell secrets or agree to do something. After threats of torture, they broke the spy down. They broke down the agent by threatening violence.

break something down

(into something)

1. to reduce a compound or its structure to its components. Heat will break this down into sodium and a few gases. Will heat break down this substance into anything useful? We broke it into little pieces.

2. to reduce a large numerical total to its subparts and explain each one. She broke the total down into its components. Please break down the total into its parts again. I’ll break the total down for you.

3. to discuss the details of something by examining its subparts. (See also break something down (for someone).) Let’s break this problem down into its parts and deal with each one separately. Breaking down complex problems into their components is almost fun. Let’s break this issue down and discuss it.

break something down

1. Lit. to tear something down; to destroy something. They used an ax to break the door down. We broke down the wall with big hammers.

2. Fig. to destroy a social or legal barrier. The court broke a number of legal barriers down this week. They had to break down many social prejudices to manage to succeed.

break something down

(for someone) Fig. to explain something to someone in simple terms or in an orderly fashion. (Alludes to breaking a complex problem into smaller segments which can be explained more easily. See also break something down (into something).) She doesn’t understand. You will have to break it down for her. I can help. This is a confusing question. Let me break down the problem for you.

break down (and cry)

to surrender to demands or emotions and cry. Max finally broke down and confessed. I was afraid I would break down and cry from the sadness I felt.

(nervous) breakdown

Fig. a physical and mental collapse brought on by great anxiety over a period of time. After month after month of stress and strain, Sally had a nervous breakdown.

break down

1. Demolish, destroy, either physically or figuratively, as in The carpenters broke down the partition between the bedrooms, or The governor’s speeches broke down the teachers’ opposition to school reform. [Late 1300s]

2. Separate into constituent parts, analyze. For example, I insisted that they break down the bill into the separate charges for parts and labor, or The chemist was trying to break down the compound’s molecules. [Mid-1800s]

3. Stop functioning, cease to be effective or operable, as in The old dishwasher finally broke down. [Mid-1800s]

4. Become distressed or upset; also, have a physical or mental collapse, as in The funeral was too much for her and she broke down in tears, or After seeing all his work come to nothing, he broke down and had to be treated by a psychiatrist . [Late 1800s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

break down

1. To cause something to collapse, especially by hitting it: The firefighters broke down the door of the burning house. The bulldozer pushed at the old wall and broke it down.

2. To collapse, especially as a result of force or pressure; give way: The door finally broke down after I kept hitting it with a club.

3. To cause someone to stop resisting, especially by force or pressure: The police will break you down and make you talk.

4. To stop resisting; accede: My friends kept pleading with me to go to the beach, so I finally broke down and went along with them.

5. To destroy or remove something, especially something viewed as a problem: This political party hopes to break down the barriers between social classes. Let’s identify the obstacles and break them down.

6. To stop functioning: The elevator broke down, so please use the stairs.

7. To be a passenger in a vehicle that stops functioning: We’re late because we broke down just outside the city.

8. To fail despite effort; come to a stop: The negotiations between the warring nations broke down, and the fighting continued.

9. To suffer an emotional or mental collapse: The stress of my new job was so high that I eventually broke down and couldn’t go to work for days.

10. To separate something into parts; take something apart: When the carnival was over, we broke down all the tents. The workers broke down the equipment and put it into storage.

11. To examine or explain something by looking at its parts; analyze something: Break down your story into its main themes and write each part separately. This problem looks very difficult, but if we break it down, it becomes easy to solve.

12. To be divisible into smaller parts: The population of the city breaks down into three main groups: the poor, the rich, and the middle class.

See also:

barf
barfola
going to
explain (oneself)
explain oneself
explain yourself
cross over
face off
face-off
blow

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Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

break down vb (adverb)

(intransitive) to cease to function; become ineffective
to yield or cause to yield, esp to strong emotion or tears
(transitive) to crush or destroy
(intransitive) to have a nervous breakdown
to analyse or be subjected to analysis
to separate or cause to separate into simpler chemical elements; decompose
break it down ⇒ Austral NZ informal stop it
don’t expect me to believe that; come off it

n breakdown

an act or instance of breaking down; collapse
short for nervous breakdown
an analysis or classification of something into its component parts: he prepared a breakdown of the report
a lively American country dance

break /breɪk/USA pronunciation v., broke/broʊk/USA pronunciation bro•ken/ˈbroʊkən/USA pronunciation break•ing, n.

v.

to smash, split, or divide into parts violently: [~ + object]He took the vase and broke it open.[no object]The vase broke.
to (cause to) stop working, as through wear or damage: [~ + object]I broke my watch.[no object]My watch broke.
to disobey or disregard (a law, promise, etc.):[~ + object]She broke her promise not to drink.
to fracture a bone of: [~ + object]He broke his arm.[no object]His arm broke when he fell on it.
to burst through (the surface of);
rupture: [~ + object]When you fell you just broke the skin, so there’s only a little blood.[no object]The blood vessel broke and blood poured out.
to interrupt (quiet, peace, or some continuing process or activity): [~ + object]A scream broke the silence.[no object]Let’s break for lunch and come back later.
to (cause to) come to an end;
stop: [~ + object]He broke radio contact when he realized he was being intercepted.[no object]Radio contact broke after just a few moments.
Cryptography to discover the system, etc., for figuring out (a code):[~ + object]During World War II theUnited States had broken the Japanese war codes.
[~ + object] to exchange for, or divide into, smaller units: Can you break a ten-dollar bill?
[~ + object] to make a way through;
penetrate: The stone broke the surface of the water.
[~ + object] to escape from, esp. by force: to break jail.
to better (a record):[~ + object]When he jumped over eight feet he broke the old record of 7 feet 10 inches.
[~ + object] to tell or reveal: They broke the news to us gently.
[~ + object] to solve: to break a murder case.
to ruin financially;
bankrupt:[~ + object]had made many enemies who worked together to break him.
to (cause to) be overcome or worn down;
(cause to) give in to pressure: [~ + object]The police broke the spy in just a few hours.[no object]The captured spy broke quickly.
to lessen the power or intensity of:[~ + object]In order to break your fall, slap your arm against the floor as you go down.
[~ + object] to train to obedience;
tame: to break a horse.
to train away from a habit or practice:[~ + object + of + object]tried to break him of his habit of biting his fingernails.
Electricity to stop the flow of (a current):[~ + object]He broke the circuit by disconnecting the wires.
to become detached or disassociated: [~ + from/with + object]decided to break from the past and leave her small town for good.
Journalismto (cause a news item to) be released, published, or aired: [no object]The story broke the next day inmost newspapers.[~ + object]The reporter promised not to break the story.
to free oneself or escape suddenly, as from restraint:[no object]She broke free and dashed away.
to run or dash toward something suddenly;
force one’s way: [~ + for]He broke for the goal line.[no object]The hunters broke through the underbrush.
[no object] (of the day or dawn) to grow light: Day was breaking.
to appear or begin violently and suddenly:[no object]After some rumbling in the distance,the storm suddenly broke.
to give way or fail, as health or spirit:[no object]Her spirit broke when her two daughters died so young.
(to cause the heart) to be overwhelmed with sorrow: [no object]His heart broke when she married another.[~ + object]He broke her heart when he married another.
(of the voice) to waver or change tone abruptly, as from emotion or the beginning of maturity:[no object]When she started to talk about the attack, her voice broke. When he turned fourteen his voice began to break.
to drop, turn, or change direction down sharply and considerably: [no object]Stock prices broke quickly at the New York exchange.[~ + object]The pitcher broke his curveball over the plate and the batter swung at it.
[no object] to fall or collapse by colliding with something: The waves broke on the shore.
Games to make the opening play in pool by scattering the racked balls with the cue ball:[no object]She won the toss to break and the game began.
Sport[no object] to leave the starting point in a race: The horses broke from the gate.
break away, [no object; ~ + away (+ from + object)]
- to leave, esp. suddenly:One of the suspects broke away and dashed into the subway station.
- to cut off connections with (a group or tradition):decided to break away from the Democratic party and form his own.
break down,
- [no object] to stop working;
  fail:The car broke down on the highway.
- to cause to collapse or stop working: [~ + down + object]to break down resistance.[~ + object + down]to break it down.
- to separate into component parts: [no object]These proteins will break down in your stomach.[~ + down + object]Enzymes in your stomach break down proteins.[~ + object + down]Let me break it down (= analyze the situation) for you.
- [no object] to lose control over one’s emotions, esp. to cry:just broke down and began sobbing.
- [no object] to have a complete physical or mental collapse.
break even, [no object] to finish something with no loss and no gain:lucky just to break even this year.
break in,
- [no object] to enter a house or property by force or unlawfully:The thief broke in yesterday.
- to train to a new situation: [~ + in + object]He managed to break in a new assistant.[~ + object + in]He managed to break her in in just a few days.
- to wear or use (something new) and thereby ease stiffness, tightness, etc.: [~ + in + object]to break in his new shoes.[~ + object + in]to break them in.
- [no object] to interrupt: He broke in with an objection.
break in on or upon, [~ + in + on + object] to intrude upon:I’m sorry to break in on you like this.
break into, [~ + into + object]
- to interrupt:broke into the conversation and began shouting.
- to express (an emotion, etc.) suddenly:broke into a huge smile when she saw me.
- to begin making a sound:broke into a song.
- to enter (a profession):She broke into journalism when she was eighteen.
- to enter (property) by force:broke into the storage room and grabbed the safe.
break off,
- to cut off or remove (a part of) by breaking: [~ + off + object]I broke off a piece of meat.[~ + object + off]to break a piece off.
- to stop suddenly;
  discontinue: [~ + off + object]The two nations decided to break off relations.[~ + object + off]to break them off.
break out,
- [no object] to begin suddenly;
  arise:An epidemic broke out.
- [no object* (~ + out + in)] (of a person’s appearance) to have a mark or spots on the skin appear suddenly:Her face broke out in red blotches.
- [~ + out + object] to take out or prepare for use:to break out the parachutes.
- [no object] to escape;
  flee:The prisoner broke out at about noon.
break up,
- [no object] to separate;
  scatter:The crowd broke up and people went on their way.
- to (cause to) come to an end;
  discontinue: [~ + up + object]The cops broke up the fight.[~ + object + up]All right, break it up![no object]The meeting broke up.
- to (cause a personal relationship to) end: [no object]decided to break up after five years.[~ + up + object]Their children didn’t break up their marriage.[~ + object + up]to break it up.
- to (cause someone to) laugh a great deal: [no object]When she heard that joke she just broke up.[~ + object + up]That joke just broke her up.
break with, [~ + with + object] to separate from:to break with one’s family.

n. [countable]

an opening made by or as if by breaking:a break in the window.
an act or instance of breaking;
rupture:heard a sharp crack and knew that she had suffered a clean break of her leg.
an interruption or stopping of something:[usually singular]a break with tradition.
a brief rest, as from work:Let’s take a break; I’m tired of all this homework.
a sudden and obvious change:waited for a break in the weather.
an attempt to escape:Let’s make a break for it!
Informal Termsa case or piece of luck, esp. good luck:What a lucky break!
Informal Terms the breaks, [plural] Informal. the way things happen;
fate: Those are the breaks.
Gamesthe opening play in a game of pool, in which the white ball is shot to scatter the balls.

Idioms

Idioms break camp, to pack up tents and equipment and start again on a journey or march.

Idioms break (new) ground,

to begin construction, esp. of a building:to break ground for a new housing development.
to start something new or from the beginning:Thelatest study linking heart attacks with smoking cigarettes doesn’t really break any new ground.

break
(brāk),USA pronunciation v., broke or (Archaic) brake;
bro•ken or (Archaic) broke;
break•ing;
n.
v.t.

to smash, split, or divide into parts violently;
reduce to pieces or fragments:He broke a vase.
to infringe, ignore, or act contrary to (a law, rule, promise, etc.):She broke her promise.
to dissolve or annul (often fol. by off):to break off friendly relations with another country.
to fracture a bone of (some part of the body):He broke his leg.
to lacerate;
wound:to break the skin.
to destroy or interrupt the regularity, uniformity, continuity, or arrangement of;
interrupt:The bleating of a foghorn broke the silence. The troops broke formation.
to put an end to;
overcome;
stop:His touchdown run broke the tie. She found it hard to break the cigarette habit.
Cryptographyto discover the system, key, method, etc., for decoding or deciphering (a cryptogram), esp. by the methods of cryptanalysis.
to remove a part from (a set or collection):She had to break the set to sell me the two red ones I wanted.
to exchange for or divide into smaller units or components:She broke a dollar bill into change. The prism broke the light into all the colors of the rainbow.
to make a way through;
penetrate:The stone broke the surface of the water.
Law
- Lawto open or force one’s way into (a dwelling, store, etc.).
- Lawto contest (a will) successfully by judicial action.
to make one’s way out of, esp. by force:to break jail.
to better (a given score or record):He never broke 200 in bowling or 80 in golf.
to disclose or divulge personally in speech or writing:He broke the good news to her at dinner.
to solve:The police needed only a week to break that case.
to rupture (a blood vessel):She almost broke a blood vessel from laughing so hard.
to disable or destroy by or as if by shattering or crushing:to break a watch.
to cause (a blister, boil, or the like) to burst, as by puncturing:She broke the blister with a needle.
to ruin financially;
make bankrupt:They threatened to break him if he didn’t stop discounting their products.
to overcome or wear down the spirit, strength, or resistance of;
to cause to yield, esp. under pressure, torture, or the like:They broke him by the threat of blackmail.
to dismiss or reduce in rank.
to impair or weaken the power, effect, or intensity of:His arm broke the blow.
to train to obedience;
tame:to break a horse.
to train away from a habit or practice (usually fol. by of ).
Electricityto render (a circuit) incomplete;
stop the flow of (a current).
Journalism
- to release (a story) for publication or airing on radio or television:They will break the story tomorrow.
- to continue (a story or article) on another page, esp. when the page is not the following one.
Games[Pool.]to cause (racked billiard balls) to scatter by striking with the cue ball.
[Sports.]
- Sport(of a pitcher, bowler, etc.) to hurl (a ball) in such a way as to cause it to change direction after leaving the hand:He broke a curve over the plate for a strike.
- Sport(in tennis and other racket games) to score frequently or win against (an opponent’s serve).
Nautical, Naval Termsto unfurl (a flag) suddenly by an easily released knot.
to prove the falsity or show the lack of logic of:The FBI broke his alibi by proving he knew how to shoot a pistol.
to begin or initiate (a plan or campaign), esp. with much publicity:They were going to break the sales campaign with a parade in April.
to open the breech or action of (a shotgun, rifle, or revolver), as by snapping open the hinge between the barrel and the butt.

v.i.

to shatter, burst, or become broken;
separate into parts or fragments, esp. suddenly and violently:The glass broke on the floor.
to become suddenly discontinuous or interrupted;
stop abruptly:She pulled too hard and the string broke.
to become detached, separated, or disassociated (usually fol. by away, off, or from):The knob broke off in his hand.
to become inoperative or to malfunction, as through wear or damage:The television set broke this afternoon.
to begin suddenly or violently or change abruptly into something else:War broke over Europe.
to begin uttering a sound or series of sounds or to be uttered suddenly:She broke into song. When they entered, a cheer broke from the audience.
to express or start to express an emotion or mood:His face broke into a smile.
to free oneself or escape suddenly, as from restraint or dependency (often fol. by away):He broke away from the arresting officer. She finally broke away from her parents and got an apartment of her own.
to run or dash toward something suddenly (usually fol. by for):The pass receiver broke for the goal line.
to force a way (usually fol. by in, into, or through):The hunters broke through the underbrush.
to burst or rupture:A blood vessel broke in his nose. The blister broke when he pricked it.
to interrupt or halt an activity (usually fol. by in, into, forth, or from):Don’t break in on the conversation. Let’s break for lunch.
to appear or arrive suddenly (usually fol. by in, into, or out):A deer broke into the clearing. A rash broke out on her arm.
to dawn:The day broke hot and sultry.
to begin violently and suddenly:The storm broke.
(of a storm, foul weather, etc.) to cease:The weather broke after a week, and we were able to sail for home.
to part the surface of water, as a jumping fish or surfacing submarine.
to give way or fail, as health, strength, or spirit;
collapse:After years of hardship and worry, his health broke.
to yield or submit to pressure, torture, or the like:He broke under questioning.
(of the heart) to be overwhelmed with sorrow:Her heart broke when he told her that he no longer loved her.
(of the voice or a musical instrument) to change harshly from one register or pitch to another:After his voice broke, he could no longer sing soprano parts.
(of the voice) to cease, waver, or change tone abruptly, esp. from emotional strain:His voice broke when he mentioned her name.
(of value or prices) to drop sharply and considerably.
to disperse or collapse by colliding with something:The waves broke on the shore.
Music and Danceto break dance.
Sport(of a horse in a harness race) to fail to keep to a trot or pace, as by starting to gallop.
[Bot.]to mutate;
sport.
Linguisticsto undergo breaking.
Games[Billiards, Pool.]to make a break;
take the first turn in a game.
Sport(of a pitched or bowled ball) to change direction:The ball broke over the plate.
Sport[Horse Racing, Track.]to leave the starting point:The horses broke fast from the gate.
Sport[Boxing.]to step back or separate from a clinch:The fighters fell into a clinch and broke on the referee’s order.
to take place;
occur.
Journalismto become known, published, or aired:The story broke in the morning papers.
[Hort.]to produce flowers or leaves.
break away:
- to leave or escape, esp. suddenly or hurriedly.
- to sever connections or allegiance, as to tradition or a political group.
- to start prematurely:The horse broke away from the starting gate.
break back, [Tennis.]to win a game served by an opponent immediately after the opponent has done so against one’s own serve.
Nautical, Naval Terms break bulk, to remove a cargo wholly or in part.
Idioms break camp, to pack up tents and equipment and resume a journey or march:They broke camp at dawn and proceeded toward the mountains.
Electricity, Chemistry break down:
- to become ineffective.
- to lose control;
  weaken:He broke down and wept at the sad news.
- to have a physical or mental collapse.
- to cease to function:The car broke down.
- to itemize:to break down a hotel bill into daily charges.
- Chemistryto separate (a compound) into its constituent molecules.
- [Elect.](of an insulator) to fail, as when subjected to excessively high voltage, permitting a current to pass.
- to decompose.
- to analyze.
- to classify.
- to separate into constituent parts:to break down a beef carcass into basic cuts.
break even, to finish a business transaction, period of gambling, series of games, etc., with no loss or gain:He played poker all night and broke even.
Idioms break ground:
- to begin construction, esp. of a building or group of buildings:to break ground for a new housing development.
- , Nautical[Naut.]to free an anchor from the bottom;
  break out.
break in:
- to enter by force or craft:Someone broke in and made off with all the furniture.
- to train or instruct;
  initiate:The boss is breaking in a new assistant.
- to begin to wear or use in order to make comfortable:These shoes haven’t been broken in.
- to interrupt:He broke in with a ridiculous objection.
- Mechanical Engineeringto run (new machinery) initially under reduced load and speed, until any stiffness of motion has departed and all parts are ready to operate under normal service conditions;
  run in;
  wear in.
break in on or upon, to enter with force upon or accidentally interrupt;
intrude upon:The visitor opened the wrong door and broke in on a private conference.
break into:
- to interpose;
  interrupt:He broke into the conversation at a crucial moment.
- to begin some activity.
- to be admitted into;
  enter, as a business or profession:It is difficult to break into the theater.
- to enter by force:They broke into the store and stole the safe.
British Terms, Idioms break it down, [Australian Slang.]
- stop it;
  calm down.
- (used as an exclamation of disbelief ) that can’t be true!
break off:
- to sever by breaking.
- to stop suddenly;
  discontinue:to break off a conversation; to break off relations with one’s neighbors.
Dialect Terms, Idioms break one’s heart. See heart (def. 19).
break out:
- to begin abruptly;
  arise:An epidemic broke out.
- Pathology(of certain diseases) to appear in eruptions.
- (of a person) to manifest a skin eruption.
- to prepare for use:to break out the parachutes.
- to take out of (storage, concealment, etc.) for consumption:to break out one’s best wine.
- Naval Terms[Naut.]to dislodge (the anchor) from the bottom.
- to escape;
  flee:He spent three years in prison before he broke out.
- to separate into categories or list specific items:to break out gift ideas according to price range; The report breaks out quarterly profits and losses.
Sport break service, [Tennis.]to win a game served by one’s opponent.
Nautical, Naval Terms break sheer, (of an anchored vessel) to drift into such a position as to risk fouling the anchor or anchor cable. Cf. sheer² (def. 6).
Idioms break step. See step (def. 20).
break up:
- to separate;
  scatter.
- to put an end to;
  discontinue.
- to divide or become divided into pieces.
- to dissolve.
- to disrupt;
  upset:Television commercials during a dramatic presentation break up the continuity of effect.
- (of a personal relationship) to end:to break up a friendship; Their marriage broke up last year.
- to end a personal relationship:Bob and Mary broke up last month.
- to be or cause to be overcome with laughter:The comedian told several jokes that broke up the audience.
break wind. See wind¹ (def. 21).
break with:
- to sever relations with;
  separate from:to break with one’s family.
- to depart from;
  repudiate:to break with tradition.

an act or instance of breaking;
disruption or separation of parts;
fracture;
rupture:There was a break in the window.
an opening made by breaking;
gap:The break in the wall had not been repaired.
a rush away from a place;
an attempt to escape:a break for freedom.
a sudden dash or rush, as toward something:When the rain lessened, I made a break for home.
a suspension of or sudden rupture in friendly relations.
an interruption of continuity;
departure from or rupture with:Abstract painters made a break with the traditions of the past.
an abrupt or marked change, as in sound or direction, or a brief pause:They noticed a curious break in his voice.
Informal Terms
- an opportunity or stroke of fortune, esp. a lucky one.
- a chance to improve one’s lot, esp. one unlooked for or undeserved.
Informal Terms the breaks, the way things happen;
fate:Sorry to hear about your bad luck, but I guess those are the breaks.
a brief rest, as from work:The actors took a ten-minute break from rehearsal.
Show Business[Radio, Television.]a brief, scheduled interruption of a program or broadcasting period for the announcement of advertising or station identification.
Poetry[Pros.]a pause or caesura.
Music and Dance[Jazz.]a solo passage, usually of from 2 to 12 bars, during which the rest of the instruments are silent.
Music and Dancethe point in the scale where the quality of voice of one register changes to that of another, as from chest to head.
Music and DanceSee break dancing.
Businessa sharp and considerable drop in the prices of stock issues.
Electricityan opening or discontinuity in a circuit.
[Print.]
- Printingone or more blank lines between two paragraphs.
- Printing breaks. See suspension points.
Printingthe place, after a letter, where a word is or may be divided at the end of a line.
a collapse of health, strength, or spirit;
breakdown.
Informal Termsan indiscreet or awkward remark or action;
social blunder;
faux pas.
Games[Billiards, Pool.]a series of successful strokes;
run.
Games[Pool.]the opening play, in which the cue ball is shot to scatter the balls.
Sporta change in direction of a pitched or bowled ball.
Sport[Horse Racing, Track.]the start of a race.
Sport(in harness racing) an act or instance of a horse’s changing from a trot or pace into a gallop or other step.
Sport[Bowling.]a failure to knock down all ten pins in a single frame.
Sport[Boxing.]an act or instance of stepping back or separating from a clinch:a clean break.
any of several stages in the grinding of grain in which the bran is separated from the kernel.
Botanya sport.
Journalismthe point at the bottom of a column where a printed story is carried over to another column or page.
Nautical, Naval Termsthe place at which a superstructure, deckhouse, or the like, rises from the main deck of a vessel.
Geography breaks, [Phys. Geog.]an area dissected by small ravines and gullies.
Mininga fault or offset, as in a vein or bed of ore.

bef. 900; Middle English breken, Old English brecan; cognate with Dutch breken, German brechen, Gothic brikan; akin to Latin frangere; see fragile

break′a•ble, adj.
break′a•ble•ness, n.
break′a•bly, adv.
break′less, adj.

1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged fracture, splinter, shiver.
Break, crush, shatter, smash mean to reduce to parts, violently or by force.
Break means to divide by means of a blow, a collision, a pull, or the like:to break a chair, a leg, a strap.To crush is to subject to (usually heavy or violent) pressure so as to press out of shape or reduce to shapelessness or to small particles:to crush a beetle.To shatter is to break in such a way as to cause the pieces to fly in many directions:to shatter a light globe.To smash is to break noisily and suddenly into many pieces:to smash a glass.
2.See corresponding entry in Unabridged disobey, contravene.
6.See corresponding entry in Unabridged disrupt.
14.See corresponding entry in Unabridged surpass, beat.
22.See corresponding entry in Unabridged demote.
34.See corresponding entry in Unabridged fragment, smash.
89.See corresponding entry in Unabridged rent, tear, rip, rift, split; breach, fissure, crack.
94.See corresponding entry in Unabridged stop, hiatus, lacuna, pause, caesura.

1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged repair.

‘break down‘ also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):

глагол ↓

- сломать, разрушить; сбить

they broke the door down — они сбили /выломали/ дверь

- сломаться, разрушиться; выйти из строя (о машине и т. п.); потерпеть аварию
- ухудшаться, сдавать (о здоровье)

his health broke down — его здоровье пошатнулось

- потерпеть неудачу, провалиться

all our plans broke down — все наши планы провалились
the negotiations broke down — переговоры сорвались
he broke down in the middle of his speech — он запнулся в середине своей речи

- не выдержать, потерять самообладание, расплакаться

she suddenly broke down and cried — она вдруг не выдержала и расплакалась

- разбивать (на классы, категории и т. п.)
- хим. растворяться (в воде); расслаиваться (об эмульсии)
- воен. захлебнуться (о наступлении)
- разбирать (механизм)

to break down a pistol — разобрать пистолет

- смягчать; приглушать (цвет)

Мои примеры

Словосочетания

Примеры с переводом

Her car broke down.

Ее машина сломалась.

Both plans broke down.

Оба плана провалились.

My health broke down.

Моё здоровье пошатнулось.

She suddenly broke down and cried.

Она вдруг не выдержала и расплакалась.

The negotiations broke down.

Переговоры сорвались.

The police broke the door down.

Полицейские вышибли дверь.

You will break down if you work too hard.

Если ты будешь слишком много работать, ты потеряешь здоровье.

ещё 14 примеров свернуть

Источник

[‘breɪk’daʊn]

1) Общая лексика: анализировать, делить, истолочь, классифицировать, не выдержать, неудача, подразделить, подразделять, портиться, потерпеть аварию, потерпеть неудачу, потерять самообладание, провалиться, разбирать, разделить, разобрать , разрушить, разрушиться, распадаться , расчленить, расчленять, рушить, рушиться, сбить, сдавать , сдать, сломать, сломить , толочь, ухудшаться , ухудшиться , оканчиваться неудачно, ослабевать, подаваться, поломать , проваливаться, разбить , сломать , сломить, рухнуть, объяснять, разбивать (into)

2) Биология: раскрываться , расщеплять, лопаться

3) Медицина: расщепить

4) Разговорное выражение: «сорваться» , дать волю эмоциям

5) Военный термин: выход из строя, обессиливать, сломить , захлебнуться

6) Техника: вскрывать, выходить из строя, делиться, ломаться, нарушать, отказывать, пластифицировать , развальцовывать, расслаиваться , растворяться , терпеть аварию, делить , обжимать

7) Сельское хозяйство: разваливать пласт, разрушать пласт, разваливать , распахивать

Химия: опадать, разлагать

9) Математика: распасться, становиться недействительным, терять силу, не выполняться

10) Общая лексика: поломаться, сломаться (break down)

11) Железнодорожный термин: снести

12) Экономика: ломать , разделять , разбивать

13) Бухгалтерия: разбивка, разблюдовка

14) Горное дело: обрушать , отбивать , посадить кровлю

15) Дипломатический термин: провалиться , прерывать

16) Кино: сломаться, старить

17) Металлургия: разрушать сносить, разрушаться сносить

18) Электроника: пробивать

19) Нефть: обрывать, пластицировать, разрывать, развинчивать , разбирать , выходить из строя

20) Связь: обрыв на линии

21) Силикатное производство: разрушать, разрушаться

22) Экология: разложение

23) Деловая лексика: выйти из строя, разбивать на классы

24) Бурение: обрываться, разрываться

25) Полимеры: пластицироваться, размягчаться

26) Автоматика: выводить из строя, распределять , «садиться»

27) Контроль качества: разбивать , выходить из строя

28) Оружейное производство: разбирать

29) Макаров: группировать, делить на группы, диссоциировать, дробить, дробиться, подразделяться, разбиваться, разбирать на части, разлагаться, раскалывать, раскалываться, расплакаться, расчленяться, смягчать, брусовать , разбивать , разбирать , нарушать , разбивать , подразделять , ломаться , выйти из строя , делиться , обминать , приглушать , делить

30) SAP.тех. сократить

31) Логистика: разукомплектовывать

32) Фразеологизм: более подробно , более детально

33) Идиоматическое выражение: сокращать, снижать (например: сокращать закуп)

Универсальный англо-русский словарь.
.
2011.

Источник

break down

Meaning

to stop working
suddenly Cease to work or function of machine or vehicle
to go wrong
seize up
fail or collapse
burst into tears/dissolve into tears (break down in tears)
undergo chemical decomposition (break down into)
a mechanical failure
a failure of a relationship or system
divide something into parts
to separate something into simpler substances
the stoppage of a process
to be unable to control feelings and to start to cry

Example Sentences

His car broke down.
The welfare organizations in the city of London tried to break down the problem for full analysis.
Pay negotiations with administration broke down.
the old woman broke down in tears
The young man broke down in tears.
Her health broke down under the strain of overburden.
Waste products that break down into low-level toxic materials.
The breakdowns could totally disrupt the production of the factory.
A breakdown in military discipline is a big concern.
Ruth had a breakdown following the death of her husband.
The breakdown of ammonia to nitrites.
He broke down since he heard the bad news.

Origin

There are no origin records available for the phrasal verb.

Источник

These examples may contain rude words based on your search.

These examples may contain colloquial words based on your search.

Suggestions

All tissues and organs begin to break down.

В конце концов, все ткани и органы начинают разрушаться.

Metals with the excessive stress for them can break down, melt.

Металлы же при излишнем для них напряжении могут разрушаться, плавиться.

People with this disorder have inadequate levels of an enzyme that helps break down proteins containing the amino acid leucine.

У людей с этим расстройством в организме содержится недостаточный уровень фермента, который помогает расщеплять белки, содержащие аминокислоту — лейцин.

Micro-organisms break down the waste into healthy organic peat.

Микроорганизмы расщепляют отходы и превращают их в экологически чистый органический торф.

Hydroquinone alone is not able to break down superoxide.

Следует учитывать то, что только гидрохинон не способен разрушать супероксид.

New research finds that household dust hosts microbes that can break down cancer-causing environmental chemicals.

Новые исследования показывают, что в бытовой пыли содержатся микробы, которые могут разрушать химические вещества, вызывающие рак.

Another benefit is that ozone saunas break down and eliminate petrochemicals.

Еще одним преимуществом является то, что озоновая сауна разрушает и ликвидирует продукты нефтехимии.

Molecules break down, but the atoms remain.

Молекулы, таким образом, разрушаются, а атомы сохраняются.

Both radiation and harsh chemicals break down organic matter.

Как радиация, так и агрессивные химические вещества разрушают органическое вещество.

Metabolic enzymes break down endocannabinoids after they are used.

Метаболические ферменты, которые расщепляют эндоканнабиноиды после того, как они используются.

Droplets quickly break down in sunlight and water.

Пиретроиды быстро разрушаются под действием солнечного света и на воздухе.

Wood as an organic material will break down over time.

Древесина, как натуральный органический материал, так или иначе разрушается со временем.

Carbohydrates are sugars that break down inside the body to create glucose.

Углеводы это сахара, которые расщепляют внутри тела, чтобы создать глюкозу.

The results showed that the protein beclin 2 helps break down protein, which promotes the development of such diseases as Kaposi’s sarcoma.

Результаты исследований показали, что белок beclin 2 помогает разрушать протеин, который способствует развитию такого заболевания, как саркома Капоши.

The liver enzymes that break down kava also break down other drugs.

Ферменты печени, которые расщепляют кава-кава, также расщепляют другие лекарства.

About 15 years ago this arrangement started to break down.

И, приблизительно, пять лет назад эта система начала давать сбои.

They hoped thereby to break down his nerves.

They break down completely without leaving toxic residue.

Газ окисляется полностью, не оставляя на выходе никаких ядовитых веществ.

Sadly, they too, break down.

I’ve seen many people mentally break down.

Я видел, как у многих людей случались психические срывы.

No results found for this meaning.

Suggestions that contain break down

Results: 8759. Exact: 8759. Elapsed time: 154 ms.

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Word index: 1-300, 301-600, 601-900

Expression index: 1-400, 401-800, 801-1200

Phrase index: 1-400, 401-800, 801-1200

Источник

English[edit]

Verb[edit]

break down (third-person singular simple present breaks down, present participle breaking down, simple past broke down, past participle broken down or (informal) broke down)

(intransitive) To stop functioning. (machine, computer, vehicle)

I am afraid my computer will break down if I try to run it at too high a speed.
(intransitive) To collapse, physically or in structure. (unexpectedly)
(intransitive) To demolish, to pull down. (intentionally)
(intransitive) To cease to function. (others)
(intransitive) To fail, especially socially or for political reasons.

Talks broke down between Prime Minister John Doe and the opposition party.

Relations broke down between Greece and Turkey.
(intransitive, idiomatic) To give in, relent, concede, or surrender.

Is it worth taking it to a repair shop, or should I just break down and buy a new one?
(ergative, figuratively) To render or to become unstable due to stress, to collapse physically or mentally.

She is back to work now, after she broke down the other day.
- 1922, Ben Travers, A Cuckoo in the Nest, chapter 6:
  
  Sophia broke down here. Even at this moment she was subconsciously comparing her rendering of the part of the forlorn bride with Miss Marie Lohr’s.
- 1936 Sept. 15, F. Scott Fitzgerald, letter to Beatrice Dance:
  
  As to Ernest… He is quite as nervously broken down as I am but it manifests itself in different ways. His inclination is towards megalomania and mine towards melancholy.
(ergative, figuratively) To render or to become weak and ineffective.

His authority and influence over his coordinates broke down gradually.
- 2012 June 2, Phil McNulty, “England 1-0 Belgium”, in BBC Sport:
  
  Hodgson’s approach may not illuminate proceedings in Poland and Ukraine but early evidence suggests they will be tough to break down.
(ergative) To (cause to) decay, to decompose.

Leaves and grass will break down into compost faster if you keep them moist.
(ergative, figuratively) To divide into parts to give more details, to provide a more indepth analysis of.

If you don’t understand, ask him to break down the numbers for you.
(ergative) To digest.

His stomach took a while to break down his food.

Derived terms[edit]

broken down
broken-down valise
my car has broken down

Translations[edit]

(machine) to stop functioning

Albanian: please add this translation if you can
Arabic: please add this translation if you can
Armenian: please add this translation if you can
Basque: please add this translation if you can
Belarusian: лама́цца impf (lamácca), злама́цца pf (zlamácca)
Chinese:

Mandarin: please add this translation if you can
Danish: please add this translation if you can
Dutch: please add this translation if you can
Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
Estonian: please add this translation if you can
Finnish: hajota (fi), rikkoutua (fi), mennä rikki (fi), vikaantua, lakata toimimasta
French: tomber en panne (fr)
Georgian: please add this translation if you can
German: versagen (de), den Geist aufgeben (de) (slang)
Hebrew: please add this translation if you can
Hungarian: please add this translation if you can
Icelandic: please add this translation if you can
Italian: please add this translation if you can
Japanese: please add this translation if you can
Khmer: please add this translation if you can
Korean: please add this translation if you can
Latvian: please add this translation if you can
Lithuanian: please add this translation if you can
Mongolian: please add this translation if you can
Polish: psuć się impf, zepsuć się pf
Romanian: please add this translation if you can
Russian: ломаться (ru) impf (lomatʹsja), сломаться (ru) pf (slomatʹsja)
Slovak: please add this translation if you can
Spanish: please add this translation if you can
Thai: please add this translation if you can
Turkish: please add this translation if you can
Ukrainian: please add this translation if you can
Vietnamese: hỏng (vi), hỏng hóc

(vehicle) to stop functioning

to collapse unexpectedly, physically or in structure

to cease to function; (others than above)

Catalan: avariar-se (ca), espatllar-se (ca)
Danish: bryde sammen, gå itu, gå i stykker
Dutch: kapotgaan (nl), stukgaan (nl), falen (nl)
Esperanto: panei
Finnish: mennä rikki (fi), hajota (fi)
French: tomber en panne (fr)
Galician: escarallar (gl) (vulgar)
Georgian: გაფუჭდა (gapuč̣da), მოიშალა (moišala)
German: kaputtgehen (de) (coll.)
Hungarian: felmondja a szolgálatot, elromlik (hu)
Italian: guastarsi (it), rompersi (it)
Japanese: 壊れる (ja) (こわれる, kowareru)
Old Saxon: afbrekan
Persian: از کار افتادن‎ (fa)
Portuguese: cessar (pt)
Spanish: fallar (es), descomponerse (es), averiarse (es), estropearse (es), romperse (es)
Swedish: gå sönder (sv)
Turkish: bozulmak (tr)

to become unstable or collapse, mentally or otherwise

Danish: bryde sammen, kollapse, gå ned
Dutch: in tranen uitbarsten
Finnish: murtua (fi), luhistua (fi), saada hermoromahdus
French: craquer (fr)
German: zusammenbrechen (de), umkippen (de) (coll.), zusammenklappen (de) (coll.)
Greek: καταρρέω (el) (katarréo)
Hungarian: összeesik (hu), szétesik (hu), összetör (hu), letör (hu), összeroppan (hu)
Portuguese: despedaçar (pt)
Spanish: transtornarse
Turkish: çökmek (tr)

to become weak and ineffective

to divide into parts for analysis

Noun[edit]

break down (plural break downs)

Misspelling of breakdown.

To Break Down Meaning

Origin of To Break Down

Examples of To Break Down

More Examples

Summary

break down

break it down

break someone down

break something down

break something down

break something down

break down (and cry)

(nervous) breakdown

break down

break down

глагол ↓

Мои примеры

Словосочетания

Примеры с переводом

Meaning

Example Sentences

Origin

Suggestions

Suggestions that contain break down

English[edit]

Verb[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

See also[edit]

Noun[edit]

See also[edit]