break-even
or break·e·ven
[ breyk-ee-vuh n ]
/ ˈbreɪkˈi vən /
adjective
having income exactly equal to expenditure, thus showing neither profit nor loss.
noun
Energy.
the stage at which a fission or fusion reaction becomes self-sustaining.
Origin of break-even
An Americanism dating back to 1935–40
Words nearby break-even
break through,
break up,
break wind,
break with,
break-bulk,
break-even,
break-even point,
break-in,
break-in period,
break-out group,
break-up value
Definition for break even (2 of 3)
Origin of break
before 900; Middle English
breken, Old English
brecan; cognate with Dutch
breken, German
brechen, Gothic
brikan; akin to Latin
frangere; see
fragile
synonym study for break
1.
Break,
crush,
shatter,
smash mean to reduce to parts, violently or by force.
Break means to divide by means of a blow, a collision, a pull, or the like:
to break a chair, a leg, a strap. To
crush is to subject to (usually heavy or violent) pressure so as to press out of shape or reduce to shapelessness or to small particles:
to crush a beetle. To
shatter is to break in such a way as to cause the pieces to fly in many directions:
to shatter a light globe. To
smash is to break noisily and suddenly into many pieces:
to smash a glass.
OTHER WORDS FROM break
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH break
brake breakDefinition for break even (3 of 3)
Origin of even
1
before 900; (adj.) Middle English; Old English
efen; cognate with Gothic
ibns, Old High German
eban, Old Norse
jafn even, equal; (adv.) Middle English
even(e), Old English
efne, derivative of the adj.; (v.) Middle English
evenen, Old English
efnan to lower, derivative of the adj.
SYNONYMS FOR even
OTHER WORDS FROM even
e·ven·er, noun e·ven·ly, adverb e·ven·ness, nounBritish Dictionary definitions for break even (1 of 4)
break even
verb
(intr, adverb)
to attain a level of activity, as in commerce, or a point of operation, as in gambling, at which there is neither profit nor loss
noun breakeven
accounting
- the level of commercial activity at which the total cost and total revenue of a business enterprise are equal
- (as modifier)breakeven prices
British Dictionary definitions for break even (2 of 4)
break
/ (breɪk) /
verb breaks, breaking, broke or broken
noun
interjection
boxing wrestling
a command by a referee for two opponents to separate
See also
breakaway,
break down,
break even,
break in,
break into,
break off,
break out,
break through,
break up,
break with
Word Origin for break
Old English
brecan; related to Old Frisian
breka, Gothic
brikan, Old High German
brehhan, Latin
frangere Sanskrit
bhráj bursting forth
British Dictionary definitions for break even (3 of 4)
even
1
/ (ˈiːvən) /
adjective
adverb
verb
to make or become even
Derived forms of even
evener, noun evenly, adverb evenness, nounWord Origin for even
Old English
efen; related to Old Norse
jafn even, equal, Gothic
ibns, Old High German
eban
British Dictionary definitions for break even (4 of 4)
Word Origin for even
Old English
ǣfen; related to Old Frisian
ēvend, Old High German
āband
Scientific definitions for break even
even
[ ē′vən ]
Divisible by 2 with a remainder of 0, such as 12 or 876.
Idioms and Phrases with break even (1 of 3)
break even
Neither gain nor lose in some venture, recoup the amount one invested. For example, If the dealer sells five cars a week, he'll break even. This expression probably came from one or another card game (some authorities say it was faro), where it meant to bet that a card would win and lose an equal number of times. It soon was transferred to balancing business gains and losses. Novelist Sinclair Lewis so used it in Our Mr. Wrenn (1914). The usage gave rise to the noun break-even point, for the amount of sales or production needed for a firm to recoup its investment. [Late 1800s]
Idioms and Phrases with break even (2 of 3)
break
Idioms and Phrases with break even (3 of 3)
even