Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Breast

Breast

(brĕst)
,
Noun.
[OE.
brest
,
breost
, As.
breóst
; akin to Icel.
brjōst
, Sw.
bröst
, Dan.
bryst
, Goth.
brusts
, OS.
briost
, D.
borst
, G.
brust
.]
1.
The fore part of the body, between the neck and the belly; the chest;
as, the
breast
of a man or of a horse
.
2.
Either one of the protuberant glands, situated on the front of the chest or thorax in the female of man and of some other mammalia, in which milk is secreted for the nourishment of the young; a mamma; a teat.
My brother, that sucked the
breasts
of my mother.
Cant. viii. 1.
3.
Anything resembling the human breast, or bosom; the front or forward part of anything;
as, a chimney
breast
; a plow
breast
; the
breast
of a hill
.
Mountains on whose barren
breast

The laboring clouds do often rest.
Milton.
4.
(Mining)
(a)
The face of a coal working.
(b)
The front of a furnace.
5.
The seat of consciousness; the repository of thought and self-consciousness, or of secrets; the seat of the affections and passions; the heart.
He has a loyal
breast
.
Shakespeare
6.
The power of singing; a musical voice; – so called, probably, from the connection of the voice with the lungs, which lie within the breast.
[Obs.]
By my troth, the fool has an excellent
breast
.
Shakespeare
Breast drill
,
a portable drilling machine, provided with a breastplate, for forcing the drill against the work.
–
Breast pang
.
See
Angina pectoris
, under
Angina
.
–
To make a clean breast
,
to disclose the secrets which weigh upon one; to make full confession.

Breast

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Breasted
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Breasting
.]
To meet, with the breast; to struggle with or oppose manfully;
as, to
breast
the storm or waves
.
The court
breasted
the popular current by sustaining the demurrer.
Wirt.
To breast up a hedge
,
to cut the face of it on one side so as to lay bare the principal upright stems of the plants.
{

Brest

,

Breast

}
,
Noun.
(Arch.)
A torus.
[Obs.]

Webster 1828 Edition


Breast

BREAST

,
Noun.
brest.
1.
The soft, protuberant body, adhering to the thorax, which, in females, furnishes milk for infants.
His breasts are full of milk. Job.21.24.
2.
The fore part of the thorax, or the fore part of the human body between the neck and the belly.
3.
The part of a breast which answers to the breast in man. This, in quadrupeds, is between the fore legs, below the neck.
4.
Figuratively, the heart; the conscience; the disposition of the mind; the affections;the seat of the affections and passions.
5.
Formerly,the power of singing.

BREAST

,
Verb.
T.
brest. To meet in front; to oppose breast to breast.