break1/brek; breIk/v past tense broke /brok; brəʊk/past participle broken /ˋbrokən; ˈbrəʊkən/1 [I,T] if something breaks, or if you break it, it separates into pieces, usually because it has been dropped, hit etc 破碎﹐断裂﹔打破﹐打碎﹐折断: I had to break a window to get into the house. 我只得打破窗子进入房子。Watch it – those glasses break easily. 小心 — 那些杯子很容易打碎。break sth in half/two He broke the biscuit in half. 他把饼干分成两半。THESAURUS 同类词smash – used when a plate, glass etc breaks or is broken with a lot of force 砸碎〔盘子﹑玻璃等〕: Angry crowds smashed windows in the city centre. 愤怒的人群在市中心砸碎窗户。shatter – used when a plate, glass etc breaks into a lot of small pieces〔盘子﹑玻璃等〕破碎﹐碎裂: The glass hit the floor, shattering everywhere. 玻璃杯掉到地板上﹐到处都是碎片。crack – used when a plate, glass etc is damaged so that there is a line between two parts of it〔盘子﹑玻璃等〕破裂﹐裂开: Oh no! The vase is cracked. 哦﹐不好了!花瓶裂了。tear – used about paper or cloth 撕破﹐扯破〔纸张或衣服〕: I tore the letter to pieces. 我把信撕成了碎片。snap – to break into two pieces, making a loud noise 喀嚓一声断开: The stick snapped in two. 那条柴枝喀嚓一声断成了两截。burst – used when a tyre or balloon with air inside it or a pipe with liquid inside it breaks〔轮胎﹑气球或管子〕爆裂: Our pipes had burst in the freezing weather. 我们的管道在这极冷的天气下爆裂了。a burst tire 爆掉的轮胎2 [T] to damage a bone in your body by making it crack or split 摔断〔骨头〕﹐使骨折: break your leg/arm etc She fell down and broke her hip. 她跌倒﹐摔断了髋骨。3 [I,T] if you break a tool or a machine, or if it breaks, it no longer works properly 弄坏﹐损坏〔工具或机器〕﹔失灵﹐坏掉: He was playing with the camera and broke it! 他玩着玩着就把照相机弄坏了!4 [T] to disobey a law or rule 违反〔法律或规则〕: Williams denied breaking the law . 威廉姆斯否认自己违法。Students who break the rules will be punished. 违反规定的学生将受到处罚。5 [T] to not do what you promised to do 违背〔诺言〕: The mayor broke a promise to improve schools. 市长违背了要改善学校条件的承诺。You broke your word . 你食言了。6 [I,T] to stop for a short time in order to have a rest or eat something〔为了休息或吃东西而〕暂停: +for We broke for lunch at 12:30. 我们在十二点半休息吃午饭。We can break our journey in Oxford. 我们中途可以在牛津停下来休息。7 [T] to stop something from continuing 使结束: The sound of gunfire broke the silence . 枪声打破了寂静。8 break a habit to stop doing something that you do regularly, especially something that you should not do 改掉某习惯〔尤指坏习惯〕: The program is designed to help drug addicts break their habit. 该计划旨在帮助吸毒者戒毒。9 break sb's heart to make someone very unhappy, especially by ending a relationship with them 使某人伤心[心碎]〔尤指和某人分手〕10 break a record to do something faster, better etc than anyone has ever done it before 打破纪录: an attempt to break the 10,000 metres world record 打破一万米世界纪录的尝试11 break the news (to sb) to tell someone about something bad that has happened 告诉某人坏消息: Ellie called him into her office to break the news. 艾莉把他叫到她的办公室﹐把这个坏消息告诉了他。12 break sb's concentration to stop someone from being able to think about what they are doing 分散某人的注意力: A shout from the crowd broke the golfer's concentration. 人群里的一声喊叫分散了这位高尔夫球员的注意力。13 break loose/free to escape 逃跑﹐逃脱: The cattle broke loose during the night. 夜里牛跑了。14 [I] if news about an important event breaks, it becomes known〔消息〕传开﹐散播: News of his resignation broke yesterday afternoon. 昨天下午他辞职的消息传开了。15 break even to neither make a profit nor lose money 不盈不亏﹐收支平衡: We broke even in our first year of business. 我们第一年的生意不赔不赚。16 break the iceinformal to make people who have just met feel less nervous and more willing to talk to each other【非正式】打破沉默: I suggested a game to break the ice. 我提议玩一个游戏﹐以打破沉默。17 [I] when a boy's voice breaks, it becomes lower and starts to sound like a man's voice〔男孩子〕变声18 [I] if day or DAWN breaks, light begins to show in the sky as the sun rises〔天〕刚亮﹐破晓19 [I] if the weather breaks, it suddenly changes〔天气〕突变: We went to the coast for a few days until the weather broke. 天气突变之前﹐我们到海边去了几天。20 [I] if a storm breaks, it begins〔暴风雨〕来临﹐突然出现break away phr v 1 to move away from someone who is holding you 挣脱﹐逃脱: She started crying and tried to break away. 她开始哭泣并试图挣脱出去。 2 to leave a group or organization and form another group, usually because of a disagreement〔常因意见不合〕脱离﹐摆脱〔某团体或组织〕: +from They broke away from the national union and set up their own local organization. 他们脱离全国总工会﹐自己成立了一个地方组织。break down phr v 1 if a car or a machine breaks down, it stops working〔汽车或机器〕出故障: My car broke down on the way to work. 我的车在上班途中出了故障。 2 to fail 失败: Negotiations broke down after only two days. 谈判才进行了两天就破裂了。She moved back to America when her marriage broke down . 她婚姻破裂以后就搬回了美国。3 if someone breaks down, they start crying 禁不住痛哭起来: Imelda broke down in tears at the funeral. 伊美黛在葬礼上失声痛哭。 4 break sth down if you break down a door, you hit it so hard that it breaks and falls to the ground 把〔门等〕砸破5 if a substance breaks down, or if something breaks it down, it changes or separates into smaller parts as a result of a chemical process〔物质〕分解﹔使分解: break sth down Food is broken down in the stomach. 食物在胃里进行分解。break in phr v to use force to enter a building, especially in order to steal something 闯入〔尤为了行窃〕: Burglars broke in during the night and took the stereo. 夜里小偷闯进屋里﹐偷走了立体声音响。break into sthphr v 1 to use force to enter a building or car, especially in order to steal something 闯入〔尤为了行窃〕﹔撬开〔汽车〕: They broke into the room through the back window. 他们从后窗闯入房间。 2 to suddenly start doing something 突然做〔某事〕: He broke into a run as he came round the corner. 他拐过弯角时突然跑了起来。Her face suddenly broke into a smile . 她脸上顿时绽开了笑容。 3 to become involved in a new job or business activity 开始从事﹐打入﹐进入〔新的工作或商业活动〕: American companies are trying to break into Eastern European markets. 美国公司正企图打入东欧市场。break off phr v 1 if something breaks off, or if you break it off, it is separated from the main part of something 折断﹐断开: break sth off She broke off a piece of cheese. 她掰下一块干酪。One of the car's wing mirrors had broken off. 车上的一个侧翼后视镜已脱落了。see box at见 REMOVE 方框2 break sth off to end a relationship 断绝〔关系〕: The US has broken off diplomatic relations with Iran. 美国中断了与伊朗的外交关系。She broke off their engagement a week before they were due to be married. 她在他们就要结婚的一个星期前解除了婚约。 3 to suddenly stop doing something or talking to someone 突然结束﹔中断谈话: break sth ⅍ off Without explanation, management broke off contract negotiations. 没有任何解释﹐资方就突然中止了合同谈判。break out phr v 1 if a disease, fire, or war breaks out, it starts〔疾病﹑火灾或战争〕突然发生﹐爆发: Nine months later, war broke out in Korea. 九个月以后﹐朝鲜爆发了战争。see box at见 FIRE1 方框2 to escape from prison 越狱(逃跑): +of Two inmates broke out of prison and murdered a police officer. 两名囚犯越狱逃跑﹐并杀死一名警察。 3 break out in spots/a rash/sweat etc if you break out in spots etc, they appear on your skin 开始出丘疹/红疹/汗等break through (sth)phr v to use force to get through something that is stopping you from moving forward 突破﹔突围: Demonstrators tried to break through police lines. 示威者试图冲破警方的防线。break up phr v 1 break sth up to separate something into smaller parts 分拆﹐分解: They plan to break the company up into several smaller companies. 他们打算把公司分拆成几家小公司。 2 if something breaks up, or if you break it up, it breaks into small pieces(使)碎裂,(使)破碎: The ship broke up on the rocks. 船触礁撞碎了。break sth up We used shovels to break up the soil. 我们用铲子松土。 3 to end a relationship with a husband, wife, BOYFRIEND etc〔关系〕破裂﹐分手: Troy and I broke up last month. 特洛伊和我上个月分手了。+with She's broken up with Glen. 她和格伦分手了。 4 break sth up to stop a fight or argument 制止〔殴斗或争吵〕: Three policemen were needed to break up the fight. 需要三名警察来制止这场打斗。 5 if a meeting or party breaks up, people start to leave〔会议或聚会〕结束﹐散场6 BrE when a school breaks up, it closes for a holiday【英】〔学校〕开始放假: +for When do you break up for Easter? 你们复活节什么时候开始放假?break with sb/sthphr v to leave a group of people or an organization, after a disagreement with them 与…断绝关系﹐与…决裂﹐脱离: Yugoslavia under Tito soon broke with Stalin's Soviet Union. 铁托领导下的南斯拉夫不久就和斯大林统治下的苏联断绝了关系。
break2n [C] 1 a period of time when you stop what you are doing in order to rest, eat etc 小憩﹐休息: have/take a break Let's take a ten-minute break. 我们休息十分钟吧。lunch/coffee/tea break 午餐/喝咖啡/喝茶休息时间see box at见 STOP1 方框2 a short holiday 短暂的假期﹐休假: We flew off for a week's break in Spain. 我们飞去西班牙度假一个星期。(the) Christmas/Easter/summer etc break Are you going anywhere over the Easter break? 复活节放假你打算去什么地方吗?luxury weekend breaks 豪华周末假期3 the place where something, such as a bone in your body, has been broken 骨折﹔断裂: The break has not healed correctly. 骨折没有好好愈合。4 a period of time when something stops happening before it starts again 停顿﹐间歇: +in a break in the conversation 谈话中的暂停5 a space or hole in something 间隔﹔裂口﹐缺口﹔缝隙: +in a break in the clouds 云层的缝隙6 a chance to become successful 机遇﹔好运: The band's big break came when they sang on a local TV show. 乐队的好运来了﹐在一个地方电视台的节目里献唱。7 break with tradition/the past a time when people stop following old customs and do something in a completely different way 打破传统/告别过去: Clark made a complete break with the past and moved to Chile. 克拉克彻底告别过去﹐移居到了智利。8 the break of dayliterary the morning, when it starts getting light【文】黎明﹐拂晓