brake
brake Lexical Profile
brake Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A mechanical device used to slow or stop a moving vehicle or mechanism, typically by applying friction to the wheels.
"She slammed her foot on the brake to avoid hitting the deer that darted into the road."
Anything that slows down, limits, or impedes progress or activity.
"High interest rates acted as a brake on economic inflation during the recession."
A large, coarse fern of the genus Pteridium, typically found globally in temperate and tropical regions.
"The hikers pushed their way through a dense patch of brake growing vigorously on the hillside."
• verb
To reduce the speed of or stop a moving vehicle by applying a mechanical stopping device.
"The driver had to brake suddenly when the traffic light turned red."
To check, hinder, or slow down the progress or momentum of an event or process.
"The new regulations were designed to brake the rapid expansion of urban sprawl in the valley."
Word Nuance & Usage
The word 'brake' is frequently confused with its homophone 'break'; 'brake' exclusively refers to slowing or stopping a vehicle, or to a type of fern/thicket, whereas 'break' means to shatter, damage, or pause.
• Rhymes for brake
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from Middle English 'brake', which originally referred to a heavy instrument used for crushing flax. Its application to a mechanical stopping device emerged in the 18th century.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.