to break bread
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To partake of food. Common m Scripture language. Upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached to them. — Acts xx, 7.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to break bread” mean?
To partake of food. Common m Scripture language. Upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached to them. — Acts xx, 7.
Is “to break bread” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.