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1. WordNet® 3.0 (2006)
breach
    n 1: a failure to perform some promised act or obligation
    2: an opening (especially a gap in a dike or fortification)
    3: a personal or social separation (as between opposing
       factions); "they hoped to avoid a break in relations" [syn:
       rupture, breach, break, severance, rift, falling
       out]
    v 1: act in disregard of laws, rules, contracts, or promises;
         "offend all laws of humanity"; "violate the basic laws or
         human civilization"; "break a law"; "break a promise" [syn:
         transgress, offend, infract, violate, go against,
         breach, break] [ant: keep, observe]
    2: make an opening or gap in [syn: gap, breach]

2. The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Breach \Breach\ (br[=e]ch), n. [OE. breke, breche, AS. brice,
   gebrice, gebrece (in comp.), fr. brecan to break; akin to
   Dan. br[ae]k, MHG. breche, gap, breach. See Break, and cf.
   Brake (the instrument), Brack a break] .
   1. The act of breaking, in a figurative sense.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. Specifically: A breaking or infraction of a law, or of any
      obligation or tie; violation; non-fulfillment; as, a
      breach of contract; a breach of promise.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. A gap or opening made made by breaking or battering, as in
      a wall or fortification; the space between the parts of a
      solid body rent by violence; a break; a rupture.
      [1913 Webster]

            Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;
            Or close the wall up with our English dead. --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. A breaking of waters, as over a vessel; the waters
      themselves; surge; surf.
      [1913 Webster]

            The Lord hath broken forth upon mine enemies before
            me, as the breach of waters.          --2 Sam. v.
                                                  20.
      [1913 Webster]

   A clear breach implies that the waves roll over the vessel
      without breaking.

   A clean breach implies that everything on deck is swept
      away. --Ham. Nav. Encyc.
      [1913 Webster]

   5. A breaking up of amicable relations; rupture.
      [1913 Webster]

            There's fallen between him and my lord
            An unkind breach.                     --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   6. A bruise; a wound.
      [1913 Webster]

            Breach for breach, eye for eye.       --Lev. xxiv.
                                                  20.
      [1913 Webster]

   7. (Med.) A hernia; a rupture.
      [1913 Webster]

   8. A breaking out upon; an assault.
      [1913 Webster]

            The Lord had made a breach upon Uzza. --1. Chron.
                                                  xiii. 11.
      [1913 Webster]

   Breach of falth, a breaking, or a failure to keep, an
      expressed or implied promise; a betrayal of confidence or
      trust.

   Breach of peace, disorderly conduct, disturbing the public
      peace.

   Breach of privilege, an act or default in violation of the
      privilege or either house of Parliament, of Congress, or
      of a State legislature, as, for instance, by false
      swearing before a committee. --Mozley. Abbott.
      [1913 Webster] 

   Breach of promise, violation of one's plighted word, esp.
      of a promise to marry.

   Breach of trust, violation of one's duty or faith in a
      matter entrusted to one.
      [1913 Webster]

   Syn: Rent; cleft; chasm; rift; aperture; gap; break;
        disruption; fracture; rupture; infraction; infringement;
        violation; quarrel; dispute; contention; difference;
        misunderstanding.
        [1913 Webster]

3. The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Breach \Breach\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Breached; p. pr. & vb. n.
   Breaching.]
   To make a breach or opening in; as, to breach the walls of a
   city.
   [1913 Webster]

4. The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Breach \Breach\, v. i.
   To break the water, as by leaping out; -- said of a whale.
   [1913 Webster]

5. Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
Breach
   an opening in a wall (1 Kings 11:27; 2 Kings 12:5); the fracture
   of a limb (Lev. 24:20), and hence the expression, "Heal, etc."
   (Ps. 60:2). Judg. 5:17, a bay or harbour; R.V., "by his creeks."
   

6. Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856)
BREACH, contract, torts. The violation of an obligation, engagement or duty; 
as a breach of covenant is the non-performance or violation of a covenant; 
the breach of a promise is non-performance of a promise; the breach of a 
duty, is the refusal or neglect to execute an office or public trust, 
according to law. 
     2. Breaches of a contract are single or continuing breaches. The former 
are those which are committed at one single time. Skin. 367; Carth. 289. A 
continuing breach is one committed at different times, as, if a covenant to 
repair be broken at one time, and the same covenant be again broken, it is a 
continuing breach. Moore, 242; 1 Leon. 62; 1 Salk. 141; Holt, 178; Lord 
Raym. 1125. When a covenant running with the land is assigned after a single 
breach, the right of action for such breach does not pass to the assignee 
but if it be assigned after the commencement of a continuing breach, the 
right of action then vests in such assignee. Cro. Eliz. 863; 8 Taunt. 227;, 
2 Moore, 164; 1 Leon. 62. 
     3. In general the remedy for breaches of contracts, or quasi contracts, 
is by a civil action. 



7. Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856)
BREACH. pleading. That part of the declaration in which the violation of the 
defendant's contract is stated. 
     2. It is usual in assumpsit to introduce the statement of the 
particular breach, with the allegation that the defendant, contriving and 
fraudulently intending craftily and subtilely to deceive and defraud the 
plaintiff, neglected and refused to perform, or performed the particular act 
contrary to the previous stipulation. ? 
     3. In debt, the breach or cause of action. complained of must proceed 
only for the non-payment of money previously alleged to be payable; and such 
breach is nearly similar, whether the action be in debt on simple contract, 
specially, record or statute, and is usually of the following form: " Yet 
the said defendant, although often requested so to, do, hath not as yet paid 
the said sum of ____ dollars, above demanded, nor any part thereof, to the 
said plaintiff, but bath hitherto wholly neglected and refused so to do, to 
the damage of the said plaintiff _________  dollars, and therefore he brings 
suit," &c. 
     4. The breach must obviously be governed by the nature of the 
stipulation; it ought to be assigned in the words of the contract, either 
negatively or affirmatively, or in words which are co-extensive with its 
import and effect. Com. Dig. Pleader, C 45 to 49; 2 Saund. 181, b, c; 6 
Cranch, 127; and see 5 John. R. 168; 8 John. R. 111; 7 John. R. 376; 4 Dall. 
436; 2 Hen. & Munf. 446. 
     5. When the contract is in the disjunctive, as, on a promise to deliver 
a horse by a particular day, or pay a sum of money, the breach ought to be 
assigned that the defendant did not do the one act nor the other. 1 Sid. 
440; Hardr. 320; Com. Dig. Pleader, C. 



Thesaurus Results for breach:

1. Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
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