breaker

/ˈbreɪkə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · [brˈekɚ] /ˈbreɪkər/ (ame, ipa) · [brˈekɚ] /ˈbrā-kər How to pronounce breaker (audio)/ (ame, mw)

breaker — noun

  • breakersingular
  • breakersplural

1. a strong sea wave that curls and turns white as it reaches the shore

1.名詞B2
釋義

a strong sea wave that curls and turns white as it reaches the shore

例句

Chiara jumped back when a breaker crashed over the black rocks.

breaker crashes over rocks

From the cliff, Maeve watched each breaker turn white near shore.

breaker turns white near shore

同義詞
  • wave

    general word for moving water, not specifically one breaking near shore

  • surf

    usually refers to the mass of breaking waves, not one wave

  • roller

    suggests a long, heavy wave moving steadily toward land

文法句型

a breaker crashes over the rocks

watch the breakers from shore

a breaker curls toward the beach

用法筆記

Use breaker for a wave at the point where it rises, curls, and breaks near land. It is more specific than the general word wave and usually appears in beach or sea-weather contexts.

2. a safety switch that stops the flow of electricity when too much power is going

2.名詞C1
釋義

a safety switch that stops the flow of electricity when too much power is going through a circuit

例句

The breaker tripped when Nadia plugged two heaters into one outlet.

breaker trips from overload

Tomás reset the breaker after lightning cut power to the garage.

reset the breaker after outage

同義詞
  • circuit breaker

    the full technical name, especially in manuals or labels

  • cut-out

    older or technical term for an automatic electrical shut-off device

文法句型

the breaker trips

reset the breaker

replace the breaker

用法筆記

Breaker alone is common when the electrical setting is already clear. In labels or manuals, circuit breaker is the full term, and it differs from a fuse because it can usually be switched back on after the problem is fixed.

常見錯誤

The fuse tripped after we turned on the heater.
The breaker tripped after we turned on the heater.
💡a breaker trips and can be reset, while a fuse blows and must be replaced.

3. a worker or heavy machine used to crush rock, stone, or coal into smaller pieces

3.名詞C1
釋義

a worker or heavy machine used to crush rock, stone, or coal into smaller pieces

例句

At the quarry, Haruto fed broken slabs into the diesel breaker.

diesel breaker at a quarry

Noa watched the breaker split a heap of stone behind the yard.

breaker used for a crushing machine

同義詞
  • crusher

    broader word that can refer to many kinds of crushing equipment or workers

  • rock crusher

    usually names the machine rather than the worker

文法句型

feed rock into the breaker

the breaker chews through concrete

rent a hydraulic breaker

用法筆記

This sense appears mainly in quarry, mining, and construction contexts. Breaker may name either the person who does the crushing work or the machine that does it, so nearby words usually show which meaning is intended.