ENGLISH
REFERENCE

break wind

idiom
Meaning

To expel gases generated during digestion, especially through the anus; to fart.


Origin

first recorded 16th c.

First attested 1552. From break + wind (“flatulence”). Compare Saterland Frisian wiendje (“to break wind”).

Examples
SIMPLE

He tried not to break wind during the meeting.

CONTEXTUAL

The dog ate too fast and started to break wind on the sofa.

COMPLEX

In the awkward silence of the crowded lift, someone unmistakably broke wind, and no one dared to speak.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    as the wind blows

    According to any given circumstances.

  2. 02

    big break

    A breakthrough, especially the first big hit of a previously unknown performer or performers in the entertainment industry.

  3. 03

    break a leg

    Good luck!; Do your best!; Said to someone wishing they perform well in a theatrical production or comparable endeavor.

  4. 04

    break a sweat

    To put effort into something.

  5. 05

    break cover

    To disclose one's real thoughts and intentions.

  6. 06

    break down

    To give in or give up: relent, concede, surrender.

  7. 07

    break even

    To neither gain nor lose money.

  8. 08

    break gates

    To enter an Oxford or Cambridge college enclosure after the hour to which a student has been restricted.

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