breech

What it means

1. attributivecountablehistoricalin pluraluncountableA garment whose purpose is to cover or clothe the buttocks.First known use 11th c.

   The stallion lipped Alanna’s breech pockets. “He’s spoiled rotten.” Fishing a lump of sugar out, she fed it to him.

   1992, Tamora Pierce, Wild Magic, New York, N.Y.: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, →ISBN, page 57

   3 more examples

   'Lat be,' quod he, ‘it shal nat be, so theech! Thou woldest make me kisse thyn old breech, And swere it were a relik of a seint,

   late 14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Pardoner's Tale, The Canterbury Tales

   The typical American combat soldier in World War I wore an olive-drab tunic, stiff at the neck, breech-style trousers, and combat shoes with canvas leggings or, preferably, wrappings.

   2009, John C[oyne] McManus, American Courage, American Carnage: 7th Infantry Chronicles: The 7th Infantry Regiment’s Combat Experience, 1812 Through World War II, New York, N.Y.: Forge, →ISBN, pages 244–245

   He reached into his breech pockets. They were huge, but well-tailored and disguised properly within the folds of the pants.

   2015, David Nabhan, The Pilots of Borealis, London: Gollancz, published 2020, →ISBN

2. archaiccountableuncountableThe buttocks or backside.First known use 16th c.

   "Oho!" says Thwackum, "you will not! then I will have it out of your br—h;" that being the place to which he always applied for information on every doubtful occasion.

   1749, Henry Fielding, chapter VIII, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book III

   2 more examples

   And he made a woman for playing the whore, sit upon a great stone, on her bare breech twenty-foure houres, onely with corne and water, every three dayes, till nine dayes were past […]

   1624, John Smith, Generall Historie, Kupperman, published 1988, page 157

   When pamper'd Cupids, bestly Veni's, / And motly, squinting Harvequini's, / Shall lick no more their Lady's Br—, / But die of Looseness, Claps, or Itch; / Fair Thames from either ecchoing Shoare / Shall hear, and dread my manly Roar.

   1736, Alexander Pope, Bounce to Fop

3. countableuncountableengineeringThe part of a cannon or other firearm behind the chamber.First known use 16th c.

In a sentence

'Lat be,' quod he, ‘it shal nat be, so theech! Thou woldest make me kisse thyn old breech, And swere it were a relik of a seint,

late 14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Pardoner's Tale, The Canterbury Tales

Where it comes from

1. Proto-Germanic*brōks“clothing for loins and thighs”
2. Proto-Germanic*brōkiz pl
3. Old Englishbrēċ
4. Middle Englishbreche
5. Englishbreech

From Middle English breche, from Old English brēċ, from Proto-Germanic *brōkiz pl, from Proto-Germanic *brōks (“clothing for loins and thighs”). Cognate with Dutch broek, Alemannic German Bruech, Swedish brok. Doublet of vraka.

First known use: 11th c.