breaking

1. 1
   verb

   Present participle of break. Use this -ing form when the breaking is happening now.

   The waves were breaking against the rocks all night.

   He kept breaking the small toys by accident.

   Note
2. 2
   noununcountable

   The act of splitting something into pieces or making it stop working.

   Like the moment a dry stick snaps into two pieces.

   The breaking of the old bridge happened during the flood.

   We heard the loud breaking of glass in the next room.

   Similarrupture, bursting, snapping, fracture

   Note
3. 3
   noununcountable

   A street dance with spins, footwork, and freeze poses, done to hip-hop music.

   Like dancing and tumbling at the same time to music.

   He learned breaking from the older kids in his neighborhood.

   Breaking takes strong arms and a lot of daily practice.

   Similarbreakdancing

   Note
4. 4
   noununcountable

   In language study, when a single vowel sound turns into a two-part vowel sound.

   Like one steady note sliding into two notes as you sing.

   The breaking of that vowel made the word sound different over time.

   Students learned how breaking changed many old words into modern ones.

   Similardiphthongization

   Oppositemonophthongization

   Note
5. 5
   noununcountable

   In music, splitting one long note into several quick short notes for decoration.

   The singer used breaking, turning each long note into a quick run of short ones.

   She added some breaking to make the slow song more interesting.

   Similardivision, diminution

   Note

Showing meanings only. Show all 5