breakup

breakup
breakup (n.) also break-up, 1795, from verbal expression break up (mid-15c.), which was used originally of plowland, later of groups, assemblies, etc. Of things (also of marriages, relationships), "to disintegrate," from mid-18c. From BREAK (Cf. break) (v.) + UP (Cf. up) (adv.). Break it up as a command to stop a fight, etc., is recorded from 1936.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Breakup — Break up , Break up Break up , n. Disruption; coming apart; a separation and dispersion of the parts or members; as, a break up of a meeting, assembly, or dinner party; the break up of a spacecraft on re entry into the atmosphere. Syn: separation …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • breakup — index defeasance, division (act of dividing), subversion Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • breakup — [n] end of relationship breakdown, breaking, crackup*, disintegration, dispersal, dissolution, divorce, ending, parting, rift, separation, split, splitsville*, splitting, termination, wind up; concept 385 Ant. reconciliation …   New thesaurus

  • breakup — [brāk′up΄] n. the act or an instance of breaking up; specif., a) a dispersion b) a disintegration or decay c) a collapse d) a stopping or ending …   English World dictionary

  • breakup — break|up [ˈbreıkʌp] n [U and C] 1.) the act of ending a marriage or relationship ▪ the breakup of her marriage 2.) the separation of a group, organization, or country into smaller parts breakup of ▪ the breakup of the Soviet Union →break up at… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • breakup — noun (C, U) 1 the act of ending a marriage or relationship: the consequences of marital breakup on children 2 the separation of a group, organization, or country into smaller parts, especially because it has become weaker or there are serious… …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • breakup — noun 1) the breakup of negotiations Syn: end, dissolution; breakdown, failure, collapse, disintegration 2) their breakup was very amicable Syn: separation, split, parting, divorce; estrangement …   Thesaurus of popular words

  • breakup — UK [ˈbreɪkʌp] / US [ˈbreɪkˌʌp] noun [countable] Word forms breakup : singular breakup plural breakups 1) the end of a serious relationship or marriage 2) the division of something such as an organization or country into smaller parts …   English dictionary

  • breakup — noun ADJECTIVE ▪ family, marital, marriage, relationship ▪ bad, messy, painful VERB + BREAKUP ▪ …   Collocations dictionary

  • breakup — separation, divorce, not being partners anymore, break up    Since their breakup, I don t know where to send my Christmas cards …   English idioms

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