What does "breach" mean?
Breach: Specifically: A breaking or infraction of a law, or of any obligation or tie; violation; non-fulfillment; as, a breach of contract; a breach of promise.
Additional senses
- 2.A gap or opening made made by breaking or battering, as in a wall or fortification; the space between the parts of a solid body rent by violence; a break; a rupture. Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more; Or close the wall up with our English dead. Shak.
- 3.A breaking of waters, as over a vessel; the waters themselves; surge; surf. The Lord hath broken forth upon mine enemies before me, as the breach of waters. 2 Sam. v. 20 A clear breach implies that the waves roll over the vessel without breaking. -- A clean breach implies that everything on deck is swept away. Ham. Nav. Encyc.
- 4.A breaking up of amicable relations; rupture. There's fallen between him and my lord An unkind breach. Shak.
- 5.A bruise; a wound. Breach for breach, eye for eye. Lev. xxiv. 20 7. (Med.) A hernia; a rupture.
- 6.A breaking out upon; an assault. The Lord had made a breach upon Uzza.
- 7.Chron. xiii. 11 Breach of falth, a breaking, or a failure to keep, an expressed or implied promise; a betrayal of confidence or trust. -- Breach of peace, disorderly conduct, disturbing the public peace. -- Breach of privilege, an act or default in violation of the privilege or either house of Parliament, of Congress, or of a State legislature, as, for instance, by false swearing before a committee. Mozley. Abbott. - Breach of promise, violation of one's plighted word, esp. of a promise to marry. -- Breach of trust, violation of one's duty or faith in a matter entrusted to one.
- 8.To make a breach or opening in; as, to breach the walls of a city.
- 9.To break the water, as by leaping out; -- said of a whale.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00