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breech

(brēch)

1. The lower rear portion of the human trunk; the buttocks.

a. A breech presentation or delivery.

b. A fetus in breech presentation.

3. breeches

a. Knee breeches.

b. Informal Pants.

c. Tight-fitting pants for horseback riding, often including a wide layer of coarse material such as leather centered along the inseam to provide improved grip.

4. The part of a firearm behind the barrel.

5. The lower part of a pulley block.

[Middle English brech, from Old English brēc, pl. of brōc, leg covering, Gaulish brāca, hose, trousers.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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