break off

break off
a) To end abruptly, either temporarily or permanently.

Then the conversation broke off, and there was little more talking, only a noise of men going backwards and forwards, and of putting down of kegs and the hollow gurgle of good liquor being poured from breakers into the casks.

b) To remove a piece from a whole by breaking or snapping

The bees came and found no one but the Woodman to sting, so they flew at him and broke off all their stings against the tin, without hurting the Woodman at all. And as bees cannot live when their stings are broken that was the end of the black bees, and they lay scattered thick about the Woodman, like little heaps of fine coal.


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • break off — [v1] snap off something detach, disassemble, divide, part, pull off, separate, sever, splinter, take apart; concept 211 Ant. combine, join, mend break off [v2] end activity cease, desist, discontinue, end, finish, halt, pause, stop, suspend,… …   New thesaurus

  • break off — (something) to end something suddenly. Our third meeting broke off after an hour, but our fourth lasted three days. I just broke off with a guy I ve been going out with for eight months …   New idioms dictionary

  • break off — index alienate (estrange), close (terminate), conclude (complete), detach, discontinue (abando …   Law dictionary

  • break off — ► break off abruptly end or discontinue. Main Entry: ↑break …   English terms dictionary

  • break|off — «BRAYK F, OF», noun. 1. stoppage: »the breakoff of negotiations. 2. detachment or secession; separation: »the breakoff of Singapore from Malaysia …   Useful english dictionary

  • break off — verb 1. interrupt before its natural or planned end (Freq. 2) We had to cut short our vacation • Syn: ↑cut short, ↑break short • Hypernyms: ↑interrupt, ↑break …   Useful english dictionary

  • break off — phrasal verb Word forms break off : present tense I/you/we/they break off he/she/it breaks off present participle breaking off past tense broke off past participle broken off 1) [intransitive/transitive] to stop doing something, especially… …   English dictionary

  • break off — 1) PHR V ERG If part of something breaks off or if you break it off, it comes off or is removed by force. [V P] The two wings of the aircraft broke off on impact... [V P n (not pron)] Grace broke off a large piece of the clay... [V n P …   English dictionary

  • break off — verb Date: 14th century intransitive verb 1. to stop abruptly < break off in the middle of a sentence > 2. to become detached < branches that broke off in the storm > 3. to end a relationship …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • break off — UK US break (sth) off Phrasal Verb with break({{}}/breɪk/ verb [T] (broke, broken) ► to stop, or to make something stop: »Talks between the two companies broke off over disagreements about the merger. »The company has decided to break off… …   Financial and business terms

  • break off — v. (D; intr.) to break off from (they broke off from the main wing of the party) * * * [ breɪk ɒf] (D; intr.) to break off from (they broke off from the main wing of the party) …   Combinatory dictionary

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