breast
n. C / Un. the front part of a person's chest or the meat from the chest of a bird like a chicken. You often see this word in medical contexts or on food menus.
n. the anterior surface of the human thorax, or the pectoral muscle and overlying tissue of a bird used as food. In humans, it specifically refers to either of the two mammary glands on a woman's chest.
The chef prepares the chicken breast with lemon and herbs.
The doctor advised the patient to perform regular self-examinations of the breast to check for any unusual lumps.
The poet described the hero's courage as a fire burning within his breast, using the anatomical location as a metaphor for the seat of human emotion.
From Middle English brest, from Old English brēost, from Proto-West Germanic breust, from Proto-Germanic breustą, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrews- (“to swell”). Compare West Frisian boarst, Danish bryst, Swedish bröst; cf. also Dutch borst, German Brust.
Countable when referring to the anatomical organ or a specific cut of meat; uncountable when referring to the meat as a general food type.