Definition of "breech"

breech

/bɹiːt͡ʃ/

noun
countable and uncountable, plural breeches
1. (historical, now only in the plural or attributive) A garment whose purpose is to cover or clothe the buttocks.
  Quotations
  The stallion lipped Alanna’s breech pockets. “He’s spoiled rotten.” Fishing a lump of sugar out, she fed it to him.
  1992, Tamora Pierce, Wild Magic, New York, N.Y.: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, page 57
  The typical American combat soldier in World War I wore an olive-drab tunic, stiff at the neck, breech-style trousers, and combat shoes with canvas leggings or, preferably, wrappings.
  2009, John C[oyne] McManus, American Courage, American Carnage: 7th Infantry Chronicles: The 7th Infantry Regiment’s Combat Experience, 1812 Through World War II, New York, N.Y.: Forge, pages 244–245
  He reached into his breech pockets. They were huge, but well-tailored and disguised properly within the folds of the pants.
  2015, David Nabhan, The Pilots of Borealis, London: Gollancz, published 2020
2. (now rare) The buttocks or backside.
  Quotations
  And he made a woman for playing the whore, sit upon a great stone, on her bare breech twenty-foure houres, onely with corne and water, every three dayes, till nine dayes were past […]
  1624, John Smith, Generall Historie, Kupperman, published 1988, page 157
  When pamper'd Cupids, bestly Veni's, / And motly, squinting Harvequini's, / Shall lick no more their Lady's Br—, / But die of Looseness, Claps, or Itch; / Fair Thames from either ecchoing Shoare / Shall hear, and dread my manly Roar.
  1736, Alexander Pope, Bounce to Fop
  "Oho!" says Thwackum, "you will not! then I will have it out of your br—h;" that being the place to which he always applied for information on every doubtful occasion.
  1749, Henry Fielding, chapter VIII, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], book III
3. (firearms) The part of a cannon or other firearm behind the chamber.
4. (nautical) The external angle of knee timber, the inside of which is called the throat.
5. (obstetrics) A breech birth.
adverb
not comparable
1. (obstetrics, of birth) With the hips coming out before the head.
adjective
not comparable
1. (obstetrics) Born, or having been born, breech.
verb
third-person singular simple present breeches, present participle breeching, simple past and past participle breeched
1. (dated, transitive) To dress in breeches. (especially) To dress a boy in breeches or trousers for the first time (the breeching ceremony).
  Quotations
  […] it occurred before I was breeched, and I was breeched at three years and a quarter old;
  1748-1832, Jeremy Bentham, The Works of Jeremy Bentham, Volume 10
  A great man […] anxious to know whether the blacksmith's youngest boy was breeched.
  1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter 10, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volumes (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans
2. (dated, transitive) To beat or spank on the buttocks.
3. (transitive) To fit or furnish with a breech.
4. (transitive) To fasten with breeching.
5. (poetic, transitive, obsolete) To cover as if with breeches.
  Quotations
  Their daggers unmannerly breeched with gore.
  c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act II, scene iii]

Definition of "breech"

breech

noun

Quotations

Quotations

adverb

adjective

verb

Quotations

Quotations