break bread

verb

To eat a meal, especially to eat a shared meal with friends, family, guests, etc.; to be in fellowship with others by eating with them.

“The knight swore he would not break bread in the castle again until he received reparation for the insult.”

OriginMiddle English breken bred →
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Meanings

verbbreak bread (third-person singular simple present breaks bread, present participle breaking bread, simple past broke bread, past participle broken bread)

present singular third person breaks bread · participle present breaking bread · past broke bread · participle past broken bread

  1. To eat a meal, especially to eat a shared meal with friends, family, guests, etc.; to be in fellowship with others by eating with them.

    The knight swore he would not break bread in the castle again until he received reparation for the insult.

    2 more examples

    And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.

    1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Acts 20:7

    At last it was decided that he should take her, reaching the place about the hour of lunch, so that he might again break bread in her father's house.

    1879, Anthony Trollope, chapter 63, in John Caldigate
  2. ChristianityTo take part in Holy Communion.

    In baptism we make covenant; in communion we renew covenant week by week. . . . After offering prayers of thanksgiving, together we break bread and drink from the cup.

    1979, Ronald E. Osborn, The Faith We Affirm, →ISBN, page 61

Origin

  1. Middle Englishbreken bred
  2. Englishbreak bread

Inherited from Middle English breken bred; under medieval conditions, guests brought their own knives worn with them, which were their daggers they hunted and gathered with, then only fit to cut meat. From the expression “break bread with friends” the ellipsis “break bread” implying community developed.

More words from Middle English

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Cantonese 擘餅 /擘饼
  • 擘餅 /擘饼 (maak³ beng²)take part in Holy Communion
Chinese Mandarin 進餐 /进餐, 擘餅 /擘饼
  • 進餐 /进餐 (jìncān)eat a meal, especially shared
  • 擘餅 /擘饼 (bòbǐng)take part in Holy Communion
Danish bryde brød
  • bryde brødeat a meal, especially shared
Dutch het brood delen, het brood breken
  • het brood deleneat a meal, especially shared
  • het brood brekentake part in Holy Communion
  • het brood delentake part in Holy Communion
Finnish murtaa leipä, murtaa leipä
  • murtaa leipäeat a meal, especially shared
  • murtaa leipätake part in Holy Communion
French rompre le pain, rompre le pain
  • rompre le paineat a meal, especially shared
  • rompre le paintake part in Holy Communion
German das Brot miteinander teilen, Brot brechen
  • das Brot miteinander teileneat a meal, especially shared
  • Brot brechentake part in Holy Communion
Polish jeść razem, zjeść razem
  • jeść razemeat a meal, especially shared
  • zjeść razemeat a meal, especially shared
  • łamać chlebtake part in Holy Communion
Portuguese comer em conjunto, comungar
  • comer em conjuntoeat a meal, especially shared
  • comungartake part in Holy Communion
Russian раздели́ть хлеб-соль, преломля́ть хлеб
  • раздели́ть хлеб-соль (razdelítʹ xleb-solʹ)eat a meal, especially shared
  • преломля́ть хлеб (prelomljátʹ xleb)take part in Holy Communion
Spanish compartir el pan, comulgar
  • compartir el paneat a meal, especially shared
  • comulgartake part in Holy Communion
Swedish bryta bröd, bryta bröd
  • bryta brödeat a meal, especially shared
  • bryta brödtake part in Holy Communion
Turkish ekmeğini paylaşmak
  • ekmeğini paylaşmakeat a meal, especially shared
Cite this entry
APA

break bread. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/break%20bread

MLA

“break bread.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/break%20bread. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “break bread,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/break%20bread.

Source: break bread on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.