I. ˈbrā-kə-ˌwā noun
Date: 1881
1.
a. : one that breaks away
b. : a departure from or rejection of (as a group or tradition)
2.
a. : a play (as in hockey) in which an offensive player breaks free of the defenders and rushes toward the goal
b. : a sudden acceleration by one or more bicyclists pulling away from the pack in a race
3. : an object made to shatter or collapse under pressure or impact
II. adjective
Date: 1927
1. : favoring independence from an affiliation : seceding
a breakaway faction formed a new party
2. : made to break, shatter, or bend easily
breakaway road signs for highway safety
3.
a. : of, relating to, or resulting from a breakaway
a breakaway goal
b. : allowing or having an ability to execute a breakaway
breakaway speed