breech /brēch/

1. (almost always in pl, breeches /brichˈiz/; in N Am, etc also britches) a garment worn by men on the lower parts of the body: strictly, as distinguished from trousers, coming to just below the knee, but often used generally for trousers
2. (in sing) the lower back part of the body, the buttocks
3. Breech birth or delivery (obstetrics)
4. The lower or back part of anything, esp of a gun (pl in these senses pronounced /brēchˈiz/)

1. To put into breeches
2. To flog

breeched adjective

breeching /brichˈing/ noun

1. A part of a horse's harness attached to the saddle, coming round the breech and hooked to the shafts
2. A strong rope attached to the breech of a gun to secure it to a ship's side

Subject to whipping

breechˈless adjective

Trouserless

breech birth or breech delivery noun

One in which the buttocks, and sometimes also the feet, of the baby come first

breechˈblock noun

A part of a breech-loading firearm which is moved to introduce a charge

breech delivery see breech birth above.

Breeches Bible noun

The Geneva Bible (qv), which uses the word ‘breeches' for ‘aprons' in Genesis 3.7

breechˈes-buoy noun

A life-saving apparatus enclosing the person like a pair of breeches

breeches part or breeches role noun (theatre, opera)

A part in which a woman plays a man or boy

breechˈ-loader noun

A firearm loaded by introducing the charge at the breech instead of the muzzle

breechˈ-loading adjective

wear the breeches

(of the female in a (usu marital) relationship) to be in charge

• hold the fort
• hold the line
• hold the ring
• hold the road
• hold to
• hold to account
• hold together
• hold to ransom
• hold up
• hold-up
• hold up one's head
• hold-ups
• hold water
• hold with
• hold with the hare and run with the hounds
• hold your horses
• hole
• hole-and-corner
• hole card
• hole cards
• holed
• hole in one
• hole in the heart
• hole in the wall
• hole-in-the-wall