breech
breech — adjective
- breechpositive
- breechercomparative
- breechestsuperlative
1. describing a baby positioned inside the uterus with its buttocks or feet ready t
describing a baby positioned inside the uterus with its buttocks or feet ready to come out first during childbirth, instead of the head being the presenting part.
The ultrasound at week thirty-two confirmed a breech position of the baby girl.
breech position — medical term for the baby's orientation
Doctors at Taipei Medical University Hospital recommended a cesarean delivery for the breech presentation.
breech presentation — synonymous clinical term
A skilled midwife can sometimes turn a breech fetus before the mother goes into labour.
Pregnant women carrying a breech baby should discuss their delivery options with the obstetrician.
The hospital had an operating room ready because the baby was still in a breech position at full term.
- buttocks-first
descriptive equivalent, less formal
- cephalic
medical term meaning head-first position
文法句型
breech + noun
用法筆記
This adjective is used only before a noun. It is never used in comparative or superlative form. The related noun form 'breech' (meaning the baby's buttocks-first orientation) exists in medical contexts, but the adjective is far more common in everyday use.
常見錯誤
breech — noun
1. the rear opening or block of a firearm, cannon, or similar weapon, where the amm
the rear opening or block of a firearm, cannon, or similar weapon, where the ammunition or projectile is placed before being fired.
Private Chen snapped the breech shut after loading the last round into the rifle.
The soldier opened the breech of his rifle and inserted a fresh cartridge before taking aim.
open the breech — standard verb–noun collocation
A breech-loading cannon from the Civil War era sits in the museum courtyard.
The gunsmith carefully inspected the breech mechanism for cracks after years of heavy use.
Hunters who use breech-loading shotguns can switch between different shell sizes more quickly.
- rear chamber
less technical; describes the same space
- loading aperture
very formal; used in technical manuals
- muzzle
the front opening of a gun barrel
文法句型
the breech of + noun
用法筆記
Frequently used as the first element of compound nouns (breech-loading, breechblock, breech mechanism). Distinguish from barrel (the tube through which the bullet travels) and muzzle (the front opening).
常見錯誤
2. short pants reaching from the hip to a point slightly beneath the knee, historic
short pants reaching from the hip to a point slightly beneath the knee, historically worn by men or as part of formal equestrian attire.
The historical reenactor wore wool breeches, a linen shirt, and a leather waistcoat.
Court dress in the eighteenth century required gentlemen to wear silk breeches and long stockings.
breeches — almost always used in plural form
A tailor in colonial Williamsburg still makes knee breeches using eighteenth-century stitching methods.
The museum portrait showed a nobleman in white silk breeches and a blue velvet coat.
Riding breeches are wider around the thigh so that the rider can sit comfortably on a horse.
- knee breeches
fuller and more explicit term for the same garment
- knickers
British term for similar knee-length pants
文法句型
breeches + verb
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the plural form 'breeches'. The singular 'breech' for this sense is extremely rare and marked as archaic or historical. Riding breeches are a distinct modern sub-type that are wider around the thigh and tapering below the knee.