breakdown
part of speech
noun (a breakdown, breakdowns)
meaning for a pupil
1) When a machine or vehicle stops working: our car had a breakdown on the motorway. tree →
2) When something fails or ends: a breakdown in talks. tree →
3) A list that shows the separate parts of a total: a breakdown of the costs. tree →
4) (euphemism, informal) A nervous breakdown: a time when someone becomes very ill with stress and cannot cope. tree →
5) (science) The splitting of a substance into smaller parts: the breakdown of food. tree →
sense in the lessons
In maths a breakdown shows how a total is split, for example a bill broken into food, drinks and tips; a table or pie chart can give it. In science, digestion is the breakdown of food. In safety, pupils learn what to do if the family car has a breakdown. Phrases: break down (verb), breakdown truck, breakdown of costs, breakdown in communication.
examples
- We waited an hour for the breakdown truck. tree →
- Here is a breakdown of the trip's costs: coach 200, tickets 150, lunch 50. tree →
- Enzymes help the breakdown of food in the stomach. tree →
- There was a breakdown in communication, so nobody brought the ball. tree →
- (euphemism) After months of stress, he had a breakdown and took time off work. tree →
- If the car has a breakdown on a motorway, everyone gets out and waits behind the barrier. tree →
note
Noun written as one word (a breakdown); the verb is two words (to break down). In maths, the parts of a breakdown must add up to the total: 200 + 150 + 50 = 400. Talking about someone's breakdown needs kindness.
In the corpora
- On a motorway, after a breakdown everyone gets out and waits behind the barrier, away from the traffic.
- "Nervous exhaustion" is an old-fashioned phrase for a mental breakdown.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «breakdown» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.