to break in
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To interpose a remark. To train a horse to the saddle or to harness, or to train any animal or person to a desired way of life.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Examples
Someone was trying to break in.Ai đó đã cố gắng đột nhập vào.
Tatoeba sentence #10147142 (CC BY 2.0 FR, tatoeba.org, retrieved 2026-07-31)
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 in” mean?
To interpose a remark. To train a horse to the saddle or to harness, or to train any animal or person to a desired way of life.
Is “to break in” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.