breach

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Computing

n. an event where a computer system is entered without permission.

n. an incident in which sensitive, protected, or confidential data is accessed or stolen by an unauthorised person.

“The bank notified its customers about a data breach that exposed their credit card numbers.”

“Following the massive security breach, the IT department implemented multi-factor authentication across all internal servers to prevent future intrusions.”

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Literary

n. a hole or opening made in a wall, fence, or defensive line.

n. a physical gap or opening created by force in a fortification, wall, or barrier.

“The soldiers managed to climb through a breach in the castle wall.”

“Floodwaters poured through a narrow breach in the levee, threatening to submerge the low-lying farmland within hours.”

C2 · Proficiency Technical

v. when a whale or dolphin leaps out of the water.

v. to leap clear of the water, typically said of whales or other large marine mammals.

“We were lucky to see a humpback whale breach right next to our boat.”

“Marine biologists observed the pod for several hours, recording the frequency with which the younger males would breach during the mating season.”