Word
breakers
Phoneticsbreak·ers
US/ˈbɹeɪkɝz/
UK/bɹˈeɪkəz/
Definitions
01crashing waves
n. large waves that break into white foam as they reach the shore or rocks.
n. heavy sea waves that break into white foam upon reaching the shore or a reef.
“The children watched the breakers crash against the rocks during the storm.”
“The experienced surfer paddled out beyond the line of heavy breakers to reach the calmer water where the swells were more predictable.”
02excellent or exciting
adj. a slang word for something that is very good or exciting.
adj. an informal term for something outstandingly pleasing or exciting. Primarily used in specific British subcultures.
“That new club we went to last night was absolutely breakers.”
“The atmosphere at the festival was breakers, with the crowd reacting enthusiastically to every track the DJ played.”
British English · Slang
Teaching tip
This slang sense is very niche and primarily found in older British youth subcultures; most modern speakers will only know the 'waves' meaning.
Synonyms
Etymology
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
From break + -ers.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/breakers