2. A colt, or filly; also, a romping girl. [Prov. Eng.]
3. A castrated bull; -- called also {bull stag}, and {bull
seg}. See the Note under {Ox}.
4. (Stock Exchange)
(a) An outside irregular dealer in stocks, who is not a
member of the exchange. [Cant]
(b) One who applies for the allotment of shares in new
projects, with a view to sell immediately at a
premium, and not to hold the stock. [Cant]
5. (Zo["o]l.) The European wren. [Prov. Eng.]
{Stag beetle} (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of
lamellicorn beetles belonging to {Lucanus} and allied
genera, especially {L. cervus} of Europe and {L. dama} of
the United States. The mandibles are large and branched,
or forked, whence the name. The lava feeds on the rotten
wood of dead trees. Called also {horned bug}, and {horse
beetle}.
{Stag dance}, a dance by men only. [slang, U.S.]
{Stag hog} (Zo["o]l.), the babiroussa.
{Stag-horn coral} (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of
large branching corals of the genus {Madrepora}, which
somewhat resemble the antlers of the stag, especially
{Madrepora cervicornis}, and {M. palmata}, of Florida and
the West Indies.
{Stag-horn fern} (Bot.), an Australian and West African fern
({Platycerium alcicorne}) having the large fronds branched
like a stag's horns; also, any species of the same genus.
{Stag-horn sumac} (Bot.), a common American shrub ({Rhus
typhina}) having densely velvety branchlets. See {Sumac}.
{Stag party}, a party consisting of men only. [Slang, U. S.]
{Stag tick} (Zo["o]l.), a parasitic dipterous insect of the
family {Hippoboscid[ae]}, which lives upon the stag and in
usually wingless. The same species lives also upon the
European grouse, but in that case has wings.
2. To lay open as by breaking; to divide; as, to break a
package of goods.
3. To lay open, as a purpose; to disclose, divulge, or
communicate.
Katharine, break thy mind to me. --Shak.
4. To infringe or violate, as an obligation, law, or promise.
Out, out, hyena! these are thy wonted arts . . . To
break all faith, all vows, deceive, betray. --Milton
5. To interrupt; to destroy the continuity of; to dissolve or
terminate; as, to break silence; to break one's sleep; to
break one's journey.
Go, release them, Ariel; My charms I'll break, their
senses I'll restore. --Shak.
6. To destroy the completeness of; to remove a part from; as,
to break a set.
7. To destroy the arrangement of; to throw into disorder; to
pierce; as, the cavalry were not able to break the British
squares.
8. To shatter to pieces; to reduce to fragments.
The victim broke in pieces the musical instruments
with which he had solaced the hours of captivity.
--Prescott.
9. To exchange for other money or currency of smaller
denomination; as, to break a five dollar bill.
10. To destroy the strength, firmness, or consistency of; as,
to break flax.
11. To weaken or impair, as health, spirit, or mind.
An old man, broken with the storms of state.
--Shak.
12. To diminish the force of; to lessen the shock of, as a
fall or blow.
I'll rather leap down first, and break your fall.
--Dryden.
13. To impart, as news or information; to broach; -- with to,
and often with a modified word implying some reserve; as,
to break the news gently to the widow; to break a purpose
cautiously to a friend.
14. To tame; to reduce to subjection; to make tractable; to
discipline; as, to break a horse to the harness or
saddle. ``To break a colt.'' --Spenser.
Why, then thou canst not break her to the lute?
--Shak.
15. To destroy the financial credit of; to make bankrupt; to
ruin.
With arts like these rich Matho, when he speaks,
Attracts all fees, and little lawyers breaks.
--Dryden.
16. To destroy the official character and standing of; to
cashier; to dismiss.
I see a great officer broken. --Swift.
Note: With prepositions or adverbs:
{To break down}.
(a) To crush; to overwhelm; as, to break down one's
strength; to break down opposition.
(b) To remove, or open a way through, by breaking; as, to
break down a door or wall.
{To break in}.
(a) To force in; as, to break in a door.
(b) To train; to discipline; as, a horse well broken in.
{To break of}, to rid of; to cause to abandon; as, to break
one of a habit.
{To break off}.
(a) To separate by breaking; as, to break off a twig.
(b) To stop suddenly; to abandon. ``Break off thy sins by
righteousness.'' --Dan. iv. 27.
{To break open}, to open by breaking. ``Open the door, or I
will break it open.'' --Shak.
{To break out}, to take or force out by breaking; as, to
break out a pane of glass.
{To break out a cargo}, to unstow a cargo, so as to unload it
easily.
{To break through}.
(a) To make an opening through, as, as by violence or the
force of gravity; to pass violently through; as, to
break through the enemy's lines; to break through the
ice.
(b) To disregard; as, to break through the ceremony.
{To break up}.
(a) To separate into parts; to plow (new or fallow
ground). ``Break up this capon.'' --Shak. ``Break up
your fallow ground.'' --Jer. iv. 3.
(b) To dissolve; to put an end to. ``Break up the
court.'' --Shak.
{To break} (one) {all up}, to unsettle or disconcert
completely; to upset. [Colloq.]
Note: With an immediate object:
{To break the back}.
(a) To dislocate the backbone; hence, to disable totally.
(b) To get through the worst part of; as, to break the
back of a difficult undertaking.
{To break bulk}, to destroy the entirety of a load by
removing a portion of it; to begin to unload; also, to
transfer in detail, as from boats to cars.
{To break cover}, to burst forth from a protecting
concealment, as game when hunted.
{To break a deer} or {stag}, to cut it up and apportion the
parts among those entitled to a share.
{To break fast}, to partake of food after abstinence. See
{Breakfast}.
{To break ground}.
(a) To open the earth as for planting; to commence
excavation, as for building, siege operations, and
the like; as, to break ground for a foundation, a
canal, or a railroad.
(b) Fig.: To begin to execute any plan.
(c) (Naut.) To release the anchor from the bottom.
{To break the heart}, to crush or overwhelm (one) with grief.
{To break a house} (Law), to remove or set aside with
violence and a felonious intent any part of a house or of
the fastenings provided to secure it.
{To break the ice}, to get through first difficulties; to
overcome obstacles and make a beginning; to introduce a
subject.
{To break jail}, to escape from confinement in jail, usually
by forcible means.
{To break a jest}, to utter a jest. ``Patroclus . . . the
livelong day breaks scurril jests.'' --Shak.
{To break joints}, to lay or arrange bricks, shingles, etc.,
so that the joints in one course shall not coincide with
those in the preceding course.
{To break a lance}, to engage in a tilt or contest.
{To break the neck}, to dislocate the joints of the neck.
{To break no squares}, to create no trouble. [Obs.]
{To break a path}, {road}, etc., to open a way through
obstacles by force or labor.
{To break upon a wheel}, to execute or torture, as a criminal
by stretching him upon a wheel, and breaking his limbs
with an iron bar; -- a mode of punishment formerly
employed in some countries.
{To break wind}, to give vent to wind from the anus.
Syn: To dispart; rend; tear; shatter; batter; violate;
infringe; demolish; destroy; burst; dislocate.