bread
bread
Pronunciation
bread /brɛd/
/b/ - voiced bilabial plosive
/r/ - voiced alveolar approximant
/ɛ/ - open-mid front unrounded vowel
/d/ - voiced alveolar plosive
Word Form Variations
Singular Noun: bread
Uncountable Noun: bread (most common usage)
Plural Noun (rare, usually referring to types or loaves): breads
Verb: bread (e.g., "to bread chicken")
Third-person singular present (verb): breads
Present participle (verb): breading
Past tense (verb): breaded
Past participle (verb): breaded
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
A staple food item, typically made from flour or meal mixed with water or milk, usually with yeast or a leavening agent, and baked.
Synonyms: loaf, baked good, pastry, roll, flatbread
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms; perhaps "unleavened dough" if contrasting the baked product)
Figurative: Financial income or sustenance; a means of livelihood.
Synonyms: livelihood, income, sustenance, living, money, wages
Antonyms: poverty, destitution, indigence
Verb
To coat (food) with breadcrumbs or a similar dry mixture before cooking, typically by frying.
Synonyms: crust, dredge, coat
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms; perhaps "uncover" or "strip" in a very broad sense)
Examples of Use
Books:
"He broke bread with them, and for a moment, the weight of the war lifted as they shared the simple meal." (The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah)
"The baker kneaded the dough for the artisanal bread, the smell of yeast already beginning to fill the small shop." (Sourdough by Robin Sloan)
Newspapers:
"Rising grain prices are putting a strain on the cost of bread for many families across the nation." ( The New York Times)
"Local charity hosts a 'Daily Bread' program, distributing fresh loaves to those in need." (The Anytown Gazette)
Online Publications:
"Beyond Toast: 20 Creative Ways to Use Stale Bread." (Serious Eats)
"How to make no-knead bread at home: A beginner's guide." (Allrecipes.com)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film/TV Show Dialogue: "Hey, can you pass the bread?" (Common dialogue in a family meal scene in a TV show like Modern Family or a film like Knives Out)
Song Lyrics: "All I need is a little bit of bread to keep me going." (From a folk or blues song, e.g., "Gotta Get a Job" by James Cotton)
Podcast Discussion: "We were talking about the economic impact, and how for many, it's about putting bread on the table." (The Daily from The New York Times, episode from June 2024)
Video Game: (Item description) "Bread: Restores a small amount of health. A common staple food." (Found in role-playing games like Skyrim or survival games)
General Public Discourse:
"I'm heading to the grocery store to pick up some bread and milk." (Everyday conversation between friends or family members)
"That new job really puts bread on the table for them." (Informal discussion about someone's financial situation)
"Breaking bread with someone is a great way to get to know them." (Common idiom used in a social or cultural context)
"Can you believe the price of bread these days? It's gone up so much!" (Complaint or observation about rising living costs)
10 Famous Quotes Using Bread
"Give us this day our daily bread." (The Lord's Prayer, Matthew 6:11)
"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4)
"Half a loaf is better than no bread." (Proverb)
"One of the best things about life is the way we must regularly interrupt whatever we are doing to devote our attention to eating." - Luciano Pavarotti (Metaphorical use, referring to the necessity of sustenance, implicitly "bread" as a fundamental food)
"I believe in aristocracy, though – if that is the right word, and if a democrat may use it. Not an aristocracy of power, based upon rank and upon bread, but an aristocracy of the sensitive, the considerate and the plucky." (E.M. Forster, Two Cheers for Democracy)
"All bread is made of flour, water, salt, and yeast. But it all tastes different." (Author unknown, frequently attributed to various chefs or bakers)
"Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days." (Ecclesiastes 11:1)
"My bread and butter is food, and cooking is one of my passions." (Wolfgang Puck)
"No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another." - Charles Dickens (Synonymous with "bread" in the sense of providing sustenance or relief, though not using the word directly)
"The art of writing is the art of applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the bread." - (Often attributed to Mary Heaton Vorse, humorously altering the common "seat of the pants to the seat of the chair" to imply writing for livelihood)
Etymology
The word "bread" has a fascinating history that goes back a long way!
In simple terms, "bread" comes from an ancient Germanic word, which in Old English was "brēad." What's interesting is that this Old English word didn't originally just mean the loaf of baked goods we think of today. Its first known uses, dating back to the middle of the 10th century, show it could also mean a "fragment, bit, morsel, or crumb" of food. So, it was a more general term for a small piece of something edible.
Over time, this broader meaning became more specific. Since bread was such a common and important food item, the word "brēad" eventually became primarily associated with the baked food product we know. This shift happened around the 12th century, gradually replacing the older Old English word for bread, which was "hlāf" (which is where our modern word "loaf" comes from!).
So, you can imagine it starting as a word for any small piece of food, then narrowing down to refer to the most common "piece of food" – the baked bread we eat every day. It's a journey from a general concept to a very specific and essential food.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Bread
Bread and butter: A person's main source of income or livelihood; also, basic necessities.
Break bread: To share a meal with someone, often implying fellowship or reconciliation.
The best thing since sliced bread: An excellent new invention or idea.
Know which side one's bread is buttered on: To be aware of who or what supports you, and to act accordingly for one's own advantage.
Cast your bread upon the waters: To do good deeds or invest in something, expecting a return in the future. (Biblical origin)
To earn one's bread: To work for one's living.
To take the bread out of someone's mouth: To deprive someone of their livelihood.
To have bread in the oven: To have a baby on the way (often humorous, playing on "bun in the oven").
Bread winner: The member of a family who earns the money to support the others.
Hard as bread: Very tough or unyielding (a lesser-known descriptive phrase).
Worth one's salt: To be competent and deserving of one's pay (using "salt" as a synonym for essential provisions, like bread).
To get your daily dough: To earn your regular income (using "dough" as a synonym for bread/money).
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of bread from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
