break ‧ fast S2 W2 /ˈbrekfəst/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable and countable]
[ Date: 1400-1500 ; Origin: break + ↑ fast 4 ]
the meal you have in the morning:
We had bacon and eggs for breakfast.
I never eat breakfast.
After a hearty breakfast (=large breakfast) , we set out for a hike.
a light breakfast (=small breakfast)
a working breakfast (=a breakfast at which you talk about business)
—breakfast verb [intransitive]
⇨ ↑ bed and breakfast , ↑ continental breakfast , ↑ English breakfast , ⇨ wedding breakfast at ↑ wedding (1), ⇨ make a dog’s breakfast of something at ↑ dog 1 (8)
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COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ have/eat breakfast
Paul got up, washed and had breakfast.
▪ have something for breakfast
What do you usually have for breakfast?
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + breakfast
▪ a big breakfast
Most people don’t eat a big breakfast nowadays.
▪ a good/proper breakfast (=big and healthy)
I think kids need a good breakfast before they go to school.
▪ a hearty breakfast written (=big)
The price includes a hearty breakfast.
▪ a small/light breakfast
She ate a light breakfast of toast and coffee.
▪ an English/a full breakfast (=a big breakfast with bacon, egg, toast etc - used especially in hotels)
A lot of people like to have an English breakfast on holiday.
▪ a cooked/fried breakfast (=bacon, egg, toast etc)
Do you feel like having a cooked breakfast?
▪ a buffet breakfast (=one in a hotel, where you serve yourself)
A buffet breakfast is served in the hotel's elegant dining room.
▪ a continental breakfast (=coffee and bread with butter and jam)
Continental breakfast can be served in your room.
▪ a quick/hasty/hurried breakfast
I grabbed a quick breakfast and ran to the bus stop.
▪ a long/leisurely breakfast (=not hurried)
On Sunday mornings I like to have a leisurely breakfast.
▪ an early/late breakfast
We had an early breakfast and left before 7.30.
▪ a working breakfast (=at which you talk about business)
She suggested we meet at 8.30 for a working breakfast.
■ breakfast + NOUN
▪ the breakfast dishes
Did you put the breakfast dishes in the dishwasher?
▪ the breakfast things (=dishes, packets etc)
Dad was clearing the breakfast things away.
▪ a breakfast table/room
The house has a large kitchen and a breakfast room.
▪ breakfast cereal
Many breakfast cereals are high in sugar.
▪ breakfast time
I don’t like talking at breakfast time.
▪ breakfast television/TV (=programmes on television in the early morning)
The children all eat their cereal in front of breakfast television.
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THESAURUS
■ types of meal
▪ breakfast a meal that you eat in the morning
▪ brunch a meal that you eat in the late morning, instead of breakfast or lunch
▪ lunch a meal that you eat in the middle of the day
▪ tea British English a meal that you eat in the afternoon or evening
▪ dinner the main meal of the day, which most people eat in the evening
▪ supper a small meal that you eat in the evening, in British English; the main meal that you eat in the evening, in American English
▪ picnic a meal that you eat outdoors, consisting of food that you cooked or prepared earlier
▪ barbecue a meal that you cook outdoors over hot coals or wood and eat outdoors
▪ snack a small amount of food that is eaten between main meals or instead of a meal
▪ side dish food eaten with the main course, such as vegetables:
I’ll have the salad as a side dish.
▪ course one of the separate parts of a meal, such as the starter or the dessert:
a three-course meal