The story
From break + away, a deverbal from break away.
First known use, by meaning
- from 19th c. A channel of floodwater that has burst from its usual course; or the track or channel eroded by the water.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
breakaway
Today it means: Having broken away from a larger unit. Full definition →
First used 19th c.