Dictionary
bro•ken
Pronunciation: (brō'kun), [key]—
v.
pp. of
break.
—
adj.
1. reduced to fragments; fragmented.
2. ruptured; torn; fractured.
3. not functioning properly; out of working order.
4. Meteorol.(of sky cover) being more than half, but not totally, covered by clouds. Cf.
scattered (def. 4).
5. changing direction abruptly:
The fox ran in a broken line.
6. fragmentary or incomplete:
a broken ton of coal weighing 1,500 pounds.
7. infringed or violated:
A broken promise is a betrayal of trust.
8. interrupted, disrupted, or disconnected:
After the phone call he returned to his broken sleep.
9. weakened in strength, spirit, etc.:
His broken health was due to alcoholism.
10. tamed, trained, or reduced to submission:
The horse was broken to the saddle.
11. imperfectly spoken, as language:
She still speaks broken English.
12. spoken in a halting or fragmentary manner, as under emotional strain:
He uttered a few broken words of sorrow.
13. disunited or divided:
Divorce results in broken families.
14. not smooth; rough or irregular:
We left the plains and rode through broken country.
15. ruined; bankrupt:
the broken fortunes of his family.
16. Papermaking, Print.a quantity of paper of less than 500 or 1000 sheets.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
