Definition of 'brake'
Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular present
tense brakes
, present participle braking
, past tense, past participle braked
1. countable noun
2. verb
When a vehicle or its driver brakes, or when a driver brakes a vehicle, the driver makes it slow down or stop by using the brakes.
[Also VERB noun + to] 3. countable noun
You can use brake in a number of expressions to indicate that something has slowed down or stopped.
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Video: pronunciation of
brake
brake in British English 1
noun
1.
a. (often plural)
a device for slowing or stopping a vehicle, wheel, shaft, etc, or for keeping it stationary, esp by means of friction
See also drum brake, disc brake, hydraulic brake, air brake, handbrakeb.
(as modifier)
the brake pedal
4. short for brake van
5. short for shooting brake
7. an obsolete word for rack1 (sense 4)
verb
8.
to slow down or cause to slow down, by or as if by using a brake
9. (transitive)
to crush or break up using a brake
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
brakeless (ˈbrakeless) adjective
Word origin
C18: from Middle Dutch braeke; related to breken to breakbrake in British English 2
noun
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin
Old English bracu; related to Middle Low German brake, Old French bracon branch
brake in British English 3
noun
another name for bracken (sense 1), See also rock brake
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
brake in British English 4
verb
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
brake in American English 1
noun
2.
a heavy harrow for breaking up clods of earth
verb transitiveWord forms: braked or ˈbraking
7.
to break up (flax, clods of earth, etc.) into smaller pieces
8.
to slow down or stop with or as with a brake
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Derived forms
brakeless (ˈbrakeless)
adjective
Word origin
ME < MLowG brake or ODu braeke, flax brake < breken, to break; senses 2-6 variously infl. by OFr brac (form of bras, an arm) & breakbrake in American English 2
noun
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word origin
ME; prob. taken as sing. of brackenbrake in American English 3
noun
a clump or area of brushwood, briers, etc.; thicket
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
brake in American English 4
verb transitive, verb intransitive
archaic pt. of
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
brake in Automotive Engineering 1
(breɪk)
Word forms: (regular plural) brakes
noun
Using the brakes in a vehicleIf you want to slow down a vehicle, or stop, you put on the brakes or apply the brakes.If you want to slow down a little, you can tap the brakes, squeeze the brakes, or touch the brakes.If someone is traveling fast and they suddenly put on the brakes, you can say that
they slam on the brakes or hit the brakes.If someone presses and releases the brakes repeatedly, you can say that they pump the brakes.(Automotive engineering: Vehicle components, Brakes, steering, wheels, tires, and suspension)
disk brake, drum brake, hydraulic brake, inboard brakes, transmission brake, vacuum brake, brake drum, brake fluid, brake lining, brake mean effective pressure, brake pad, brake pedal, brake servo, brake shoe Brakes are devices in a vehicle that make it go slower or stop.
Parts of the brake that may need replacement include linings and calipers.
The car tends to skid from the rear if the brakes are applied hard.
The brakes failed and her car accelerated out of control.
COBUILD Key Words for Automotive Engineering. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
brake in Automotive Engineering 2
(breɪk)
Word forms: (present) brakes, (past) braked, (perfect) braked, (progressive) braking
verb (transitive) (intransitive)
(Automotive engineering: Vehicle components, Brakes, steering, wheels, tires, and suspension)
When a vehicle or its driver brakes, or when a driver brakes a vehicle, the driver makes it slow down or stop by using the brakes.
He heard tires squeal as the car braked to avoid a collision.
She was forced to brake sharply as the other car cut in front of her.
He braked to a halt and switched off the ignition.
COBUILD Key Words for Automotive Engineering. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Examples of 'brake' in a sentence
brake
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Trends of
brake
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In other languages
brake
- American English: brake /ˈbreɪk/
- Arabic: فَرامِل
- Brazilian Portuguese: freio
- Chinese: 刹车
- Croatian: kočnica
- Czech: brzda
- Danish: bremse
- Dutch: rem
- European Spanish: freno
- Finnish: jarru
- French: frein voiture
- German: Bremse
- Greek: φρένο
- Italian: freno
- Japanese: ブレーキ
- Korean: 브레이크
- Norwegian: brems
- Polish: hamulec
- European Portuguese: travão
- Romanian: frână
- Russian: тормоз
- Latin American Spanish: freno
- Swedish: broms
- Thai: เบรก, เครื่องห้ามล้อ
- Turkish: fren
- Ukrainian: гальмо
- Vietnamese: phanh
British English: brake
/breɪk/ VERB
When a vehicle or its driver brakes, or when a driver brakes a vehicle, the driver makes it slow down or stop by using the brakes.
She braked sharply to avoid another car.
- American English: brake /ˈbreɪk/
- Arabic: يُفِرْمِل
- Brazilian Portuguese: frear
- Chinese: 制动
- Croatian: kočiti
- Czech: brzdit
- Danish: bremse
- Dutch: remmen
- European Spanish: frenar
- Finnish: jarruttaa
- French: freiner
- German: bremsen
- Greek: φρενάρω
- Italian: frenare
- Japanese: ブレーキをかける
- Korean: 브레이크를 걸다
- Norwegian: bremse
- Polish: wyhamować
- European Portuguese: travar
- Romanian: a frâna
- Russian: тормозить
- Latin American Spanish: frenar
- Swedish: bromsa
- Thai: เบรก, ห้ามล้อ
- Turkish: fren yapmak
- Ukrainian: гальмувати
- Vietnamese: hãm phanh
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brake
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Definition of brake from the Collins English Dictionary
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