Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.

Definition: Breeze |
BreezeNoun1. A slight wind (usually refreshing); "the breeze was cooled by the lake"; "as he waited he could feel the air on his neck". 2. A task that is easy to do. Verb1. Blow gently and lightly; "It breezes most evenings at the shore.". 2. To proceed quickly and easily. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "breeze" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1010. (references) |
Etymology: Breeze \Breeze\, Breeze fly \Breeze" fly`\, noun. [Old English brese, Anglo-Saxon bri['o]sa; perhaps akin to Old High German brimissa, German breme, bremse, Dutch brems, which are akin to German brummen to growl, buzz, grumble, Latin fremere to murmur; compare to German brausen, Swedish brusa, Danish bruse, to roar, . (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Literature | Breeze House-sweepings, as fluff, dust, ashes, and so on, thrown as refuse into the dust-bin. We generally limit the meaning now to small ashes and cinders used for coals in burning bricks. The word is a corruption of the French, débris (rubbish, or rather the part broken or rubbed off by wear, tear, and stress of weather). The French, braise, older form brese, means small coke or charcoal. The Breeze-fly. The gad-fly; so called from its sting. (Anglo-Saxon, briose; Gothic, bry, a sting.) Breeze A gentle wind or gale. (French, brise, a breeze.) Figuratively, a slight quarrel. Source: Brewer's Dictionary. |
Mining | Breeze means a ) coke of small size : the undersize remaining after separating the smallest size of graded coke. b ) fine or slack coal. c ) the dust from coke or coal. d ) an indefinite term that usually means clinker, but it may refer to coke breeze. Source: European Union. (references) |
| A. Coke of small size; the undersize remaining after separating the smallest size of graded coke. Also spelled breese b. The dust from coke or coal c. An indefinite term that usually means clinker, but that may refer to coke breeze. (references) | |
Slang in 1811 | BREEZE. To raise a breeze; to kick up a dust or breed a disturbance. Source: 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
Synonyms: BreezeSynonyms: air (n), gentle wind (n), zephyr (n). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Discord | Broil, brawl, row, racket, hubbub, rixation; embroilment, embranglement, imbroglio, fracas, breach of the peace, piece of work, scrimmage, rumpus; breeze, squall; riot, disturbance; (disorder); commotion; (agitation); bear garden, Donnybrook, Donnybrook Fair. |
Wind | Noun: wind, draught, flatus, afflatus, efflation, eluvium; air; breath, breath of air; puff, whiff, zephyr; blow, breeze, drift; aura; stream, current, jet stream; undercurrent. |
Gust, blast, squall, gale, half a gale, storm, tempest, hurricane, whirlwind, tornado, samiel, cyclone, anticyclone, typhoon; simoon, simoom; harmattan, monsoon, trade wind, sirocco, mistral, bise, tramontane, levanter; capful of wind; fresh breeze, stiff breeze; keen blast; blizzard, barber, candelia, chinook, foehn, khamsin, norther, vendaval, wuther. | |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Breeze |
| English words defined with "breeze": air, aura ♦ blessing, boon, Braize, Brize, Bullfly ♦ caress, chaffer, chat, chatter, chitchat, claver, confab, confabulate ♦ fresh breeze ♦ gentle wind, gossip ♦ jaw ♦ Land breeze, Land wind ♦ natter ♦ pleasantness, pulse ♦ quaking, Quaking aspen, quivering ♦ sea breeze, Sea turn, shaking, shaky, shivering, Slatch, Spanking breeze, sweetness ♦ Topgallant breeze, trembling ♦ visit ♦ waft, Whame ♦ zephyr. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "breeze": Bells, breeze concrete, briquetting ♦ Clipping Pace ♦ DAMME BOY ♦ GRACES ♦ Leibnitz-ism ♦ motor sailer, mountain and valley breezes ♦ Oil on Troubled Waters. (references) |
| Etymologies containing "breeze": Flabel. (references) |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | Have you ever seen it, Aragorn? The White Tower of Ecthelion, glimmering like a spike of pearl and silver, its banners caught high in the morning breeze. Have you ever been called home by the clear ringing of silver trumpets (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring; writing credit: Frances Walsh) I must admit I didn't think much of Andy first time I laid eyes on him; looked like a stiff breeze would blow him over (The Shawshank Redemption; writing credit: Frank Darabont) Yon meat, 'tis sweet as summer's wafting breeze. (The Simpsons; writing credit: Artur Brauner; Paul Hengge) Well you lookin' at Dark Gable and Coolin' It Wit Da Breeze. (The Hitter; writing credit: Ben Harris; Christopher Leitch) He's violating Sea Breeze! (Family Guy; writing credit: Dolores Payás) | |
Lyrics | Wait in that corner until that breeze blows in (You're Only Human (Second Wind); performing artist: Billy Joel) In the leaves on the trees and the touch of the breeze (Top Of The World; performing artist: Carpenters) Has the sweet breeze blown (The World I Know; performing artist: Collective Soul) Catch the breeze and the winter chills (Vincent; performing artist: Don McLean) That the fire spreads faster in a breeze (I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That; performing artist: Elton John) | |
Tongue Twisters | The bleak breeze blights the bright blue blossom (references; author: unknown) | |
Movie/TV Titles | Cool Breeze (1972) Breeze Anstey (1972) Ha'penny Breeze (1950) I Feel Like a Feather in the Breeze (1936) Splitting the Breeze (1927) | |
Song Titles | Summer Breeze (performing artist: Seals and Croft) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
Books |
| ||
Periodicals |
| ||
Theater & Movies | |||
Music |
| ||
High Tech |
| ||
Consumer Goods |
| ||
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
![]() | Looking through a cannon port towards the azure waters of the southern Gulf of Mexico. These openings also served as air conditioning and let the sea breeze through. Credit: America's Coastlines. | ![]() | "A fresh breeze in the west wind belt." In: "The South Pole", by Roald Amundsen, 1872-1928. P. 152, Volume I, Library Call Number M82.1/99 A529s. Credit: Treasures of the Library. |
![]() | Under full sail in a very light breeze, while serving as U.S. Naval Academy Practice Ship in 1894-99. Credit: NAVY. | ![]() | Again the sharp slicer was raised in the breeze when Senator Capper, clad in a wrapper, came ... Credit: Library of Congress. |
![]() | Old Hall of Representatives / from painting by Samuel Finley Breeze [sic] Morse. Credit: Library of Congress. | ![]() | Prospect Park. Breeze Hill. Credit: Library of Congress. |
![]() | Fresh breeze : increasing trust : Clean Government Party. Credit: Library of Congress. | ||
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
![]() | ![]() |
| "Indoor Breeze" by T. Al Nakib Commentary: "Caught the movement of the curtain when some breeze blew into through the window." | "Breeze" by Radek Siechowicz Commentary: "Breeze." |
Source: photographs selected by the editor, with permission from the photographers. | |
| Author | Quotation |
Helen Keller | I seldom think about my limitations, and they never make me sad. Perhaps there is just a touch of yearning at times; but it is vague, like a breeze among flowers. |
Homer | Gray-eyed Athena sent them a favorable breeze, a fresh west wind, singing over the wine-dark sea. |
Samuel Johnson | Sir, he throws away his money without thought and without merit. I do not call a tree generous that sheds its fruit at every breeze. |
Thomas Carlyle | When the oak is felled the whole forest echoes with it fall, but a hundred acorns are sown in silence by an unnoticed breeze. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | |
| Title | Author | Quote |
Life, the Universe and Everything | Douglas Adams | The air was clear and scented, the breeze flitted lightly through the tall grass around his cave, the birds were chirruping at each other, the butterflies were flitting about prettily, and the whole of nature seemed to be conspiring to be as pleasant as it possibly could |
Les Miserables | Hugo, Victor | The revolution of July had been a fine breeze of the popular wind, quickly followed by blue sky. |
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man | Joyce, James | The verses told only of the night and the balmy breeze and the maiden lustre of the moon |
Grapes of Wrath | Steinbeck, John | He rubbed the butt to a pulp and put it out the window, letting the breeze suck it from his fingers |
Walden | Thoreau, Henry David | I see where the breeze dashes across it by the streaks or flakes of light |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Health | However, when tissues become injured or inflamed, as with a sunburn or infection, they release chemicals that make nociceptors much more sensitive and cause them to transmit pain signals in response to even gentle stimuli such as breeze or a caress. (references) | |
Economic History | Somalia | The southwest monsoon, a sea breeze, makes the period from about May to October the mildest season at Mogadishu. (references) |
Taiwan | The island's first composite commercial zone shopping mall, TaiMall, opened on July 4, 1999, and Metrowalk was opened in March 2001. Three shopping malls, including Core Pacific, Breeze and Taichung Tehan, are scheduled to open in the second half of 2001. Five other shopping malls are now under construction. (references) | |
Travel | Egypt | Don't expect to breeze in for a week and leave with a contract. (references) |
Lexicography | Devil's Dictionary | GRACES, n. Three beautiful goddesses, Aglaia, Thalia and Euphrosyne, who attended upon Venus, serving without salary. They were at no expense for board and clothing, for they ate nothing to speak of and dressed according to the weather, wearing whatever breeze happened to be blowing. |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| Speaker | Term | Phrase(s) |
George Bush | 1989-1993 | The new breeze blows, a page turns, the story unfolds. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| "Breeze" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 99.34% of the time. "Breeze" is used about 1,373 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 99.34% | 1,364 | 5,846 |
| Noun (proper) | 0.58% | 8 | 124,375 |
| Lexical Verb (infinitive) | 0.07% | 1 | 339,140 |
| Total | 100.00% | 1,373 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
| The following table summarizes the usage of "breeze" based on a population census conducted in the United States. Ranks and frequencies are based on all names reported and classified. |
| Name | Usage/Gender | Usage per 100 million Persons | Rank in USA |
| Breeze | Last name | 1,000 | 12,885 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits. | |||
Expressions using "breeze": breeze flies ♦ breeze fly ♦ breeze from sea ♦ breeze in ♦ breeze out ♦ breeze through ♦ breeze to ♦ breeze up ♦ fresh breeze ♦ gentle breeze ♦ Gulf Breeze ♦ it's a breeze ♦ land breeze ♦ light breeze ♦ moderate breeze ♦ Ocean Breeze Park ♦ sea breeze ♦ shoot the breeze ♦ slight breeze ♦ spanking breeze ♦ strong breeze ♦ To breeze up ♦ Topgallant breeze ♦ wanton breeze. Additional references. | |
| Hyphenated Usage | |
Beginning with "breeze": breeze-block, breeze-blocks, breeze-blown, breeze-filled, breeze-from-the-freeze, breeze-ruffled. | |
Ending with "breeze": cross-breeze, land-breeze, of-the-being-of-the-breeze, sea-breeze, up-breeze. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day | Expression | Frequency per Day |
bahamas breeze | 951 | breeze gulf information | 92 |
daily breeze | 848 | summer breeze | 91 |
ionic breeze | 720 | gulf breeze mls | 90 |
breeze | 568 | gulf breeze florida | 89 |
real estate gulf breeze | 375 | harbor breeze | 80 |
breeze punta cana | 308 | breeze montego bay | 74 |
ocean breeze | 256 | breeze fun ocean park | 69 |
gulf breeze fl | 252 | harbor breeze fan | 69 |
breeze resort | 200 | breeze runaway bay | 67 |
gulf breeze | 177 | point breeze credit union | 67 |
bahamas breeze restaurant | 170 | breeze ocean park water | 66 |
gulf breeze realty | 152 | breeze cana punta superclubs | 64 |
gulf breeze realtor | 151 | breeze curacao | 62 |
plymouth breeze | 119 | breeze superclubs | 58 |
sea breeze | 103 | daily breeze newspaper | 56 |
breeze chamber commerce gulf | 102 | breeze costa verde | 54 |
harbor breeze ceiling fan | 101 | cool breeze | 48 |
gulf breeze home | 100 | ionic breeze quadra | 48 |
gulf breeze home for sale | 96 | breeze varadero | 46 |
property gulf breeze | 93 | breeze puerto plata | 44 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Language | Translations for "breeze"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Albanian | thëngjij të shuar, puhi (waft), oshnik, meze (appetizer, plate, refection, refreshment), grindje (altercation, bickering, blowup, bobbery, brawl, breach, broil, contention, contest, disagreement, discord, disputation, dispute, dissension, feud, fight, fray, friction, jar, quarrel, squabble, strife, variance, wrangle), fllad (breath, freshly, gale, zephyr). (various references) | |
Arabic | همسة (hiss, sizzle, whisper), نسيم (air, gust, waft), تجري بسرعة, سهولة (ease, easiness, facility, freedom, perspicacity, readiness), سر (brighten, delight, divert, gladden, gratify, mystery, please, pleasure, reserve, satisfy, secret, steer), السقاط نفاية الفحم, إنطلق بسرعة (clip, fleet, fly, lick, prick, rocket, scat, scoot, scorch, scud, steam, tear away), إشاعة (buzz, gossip, grape vine, hearing, hearsay, report, rumor, rumour, story, tale, word), ثرثرة (babble, blab, blabber, boastfulness, cackle, chat, chatter, clatter, gab, gabble, garrulity, gas, gibberish, jabber, jactitation, logorrhea, loquacity, patter, prate, prattle, rattle, talkativeness, tattler, tittle tattle, twaddle, yap), شجار (affray, altercation, bicker, brawl, broil, controversy, fight, fracas, melee, miff, muss, quarrel, row, rowdiness, ruck, ruction, rumble, rumpus, scrap, scuffle, set to, shindy, slugfest, squabble, squall, tiff). (various references) | |
Bulgarian | слух (audition, bruit, buzz, hearing, hearsay, noise, report, reportage, rumor, rumour, scuttlebutt, speech, story, whisper, whispering, wind), разправия (passages), щръклица (gadfly, warble), конска муха (bot-fly, cleg, horsefly), въглищен прах (culm, slack), лека работа (pushover, smooth sledding), лек ветрец, бриз (sea breeze), полъх (breath of air, breathing, puff, waft, whiff, zephyr). (various references) | |
Chinese | 微风, 和風 . (various references) | |
Czech | vánek (zephyr). (various references) | |
Danish | brise. (various references) | |
Dutch | bries, briesje. (various references) | |
Esperanto | brizo, venteto. (various references) | |
Faeroese | gul. (various references) | |
Farsi | نسیم (Air, Breath, Guff), بادملایم , بادشمال یاشمال شرقی . (various references) | |
Finnish | tuuli ç, tuuli (gale, humour, mood, storm, wind), tuulenhenki (breath of wind). (various references) | |
French | brise (breaks, breath). (various references) | |
German | brise, hauch (air, aura, breath, ghost, hint, modicum, moiety, puff, smack, smell, spice, tinge, waft, whiff). (various references) | |
Greek | αύρα (aura, nimbus), αεράκι. (various references) | |
Hebrew | משב רוח, משב (blast, blowing, gust, puff), רוח קלה (zephyr). (various references) | |
Hungarian | szellő (air, waft, zephyr), szénpor (cinder, coal dust, Duff, slack), szél (border, confine, edge, flatus, heel, hem, ledge, let's see how the land lies, margin, periphery, shelf, shelves, to be in the wind's eye, wind), dara (grist, sleet), betonba való rostált salak. (various references) | |
Italian | brezza. (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | 風 (wind). (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | なんぷう (southwind), かぜ (cold, common cold, flower bud, wind). (various references) | |
Korean | 산들바람. (various references) | |
Manx | sheidey (blast, blast of wind, blow, blow of whale, blowing, breathe, bugle, distention, dynamite, fill out, fire away, gust, honk, puff, sound, spell of wind, spout, toot, toot on horn, waft, wafting), greesagh (cinder, hot ash), geay veeley (gentle wind, zephyr), fynneraght (cool, cool of day). (various references) | |
Papiamen | brisa. (various references) | |
Pig Latin | eezebray.(various references) | |
Portuguese | brisa (air, breathing, zephyr), aragem (air, gad-fly, waft, wind, zephyr). (various references) | |
Romanian | brizã (air, breathing, slant of wind), boare (breath), zvon (bruit, cry, gossip, grape vine, hearsay, hum, idle rumor, idle rumour, noise, peal, report, ringing, rumor, rumour, story, talk), tãun (gadfly, horse-fly), scandal (affray, breach, flare up, fray, fuss, hubbub, noise, row, rumpus, scandal, scene, shame, shindy), ceartã (altercation, Bicker, bobbery, brawl, broil, conflict, contention, controversy, discord, discussion, dispute, dissension, friction, jangle, loggerhead, misunderstanding, quarrel, row, scrap, set to, squabble, squall, Stour, strife, tussle, wrangle), adiere (air, aura, breath, breathing, gale, puff, whiff, wind, zephyr), abur (breath, breathing, damp, exhalation, fog, fume, haze, reek, smoke, smother, steam, vapor, vapour). (various references) | |
Romansch | brisa. (various references) | |
Russian | бриз (land-breeze). (various references) | |
Scottish | osag (a blast, blast), anail (air, breath), aiteal (glimpse, transient view). (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | vetrić, povetarac (sea breeze), lahor (aura, cat's paw, zephyr). (various references) | |
Spanish | brisa (air, draught). (various references) | |
Swazi | ú-moyána. (various references) | |
Swedish | bris (air), kåre, fläkt (air, blow, breath of air, breeth of air, fan, fanner, puff, ventilator, waft, whiff, wind). (various references) | |
Turkish | tartışma (altercation, argument, argumentation, bickering, brawl, broil, bust up, contention, contest, contestation, controversy, cross talk, debate, disagreement, discussion, disputation, dispute, hassle, jangle, moot, parley, quarrel, rap, row, set to, shooting match, spar, sparring, teach-in, wordy warfare, wrangle), rüzgâr (blast, blow, flatus, wind), meltem (etesian winds, zephyr), kömür artığı kül, hafif rüzgâr (air, cats paw, slight breeze), esinti (air, blow, breath, puff, waft, whiff, wind, zephyr), dalıvermek (pounce), coşarak gitmek, çocuk oyuncağı (as easy as pie, child's play, cinch, it's pie, jam, picnic, pushover, toy). (various references) | |
Turkmen | цwьsgin. (various references) | |
Ukrainian | штиб, галас (ado, affray, ballyhoo, boom, broil, bustle, clamor, clamour, clang, hullabaloo, noise, outcry, ruckus), новина (news, novation, novel, novelty, tidings, wrinkle), легкий вітерець. (various references) | |
Vietnamese | than cám (coal-dust), ruồi trâu, nối cáu sợ hãi. (various references) | |
Welsh | awel (wind). (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Greek | 700 BCE-300 CE | aura, oistros. (various references) |
| Latin | 500 BCE-Modern | aer, aera, aere, aerem, aeris, anima, animabus, animae, animam, animarum, animas, animis, aura, aurae, auram, auris, flamen, flatibus, flatu, flatum, flatus, ventulus. (various references) |
| Old Spanish | 1145-1500 | briza. (various references) |
| East Frisian | 1200-Modern | brisen. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "breeze": breezed, breezeless, breezes, breezeway, breezeways. (additional references) | |
| |
"Breeze" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: baraza, beeeee, Beese, beeze, beezer, Berzei, Beze, bleeze, breaze, Bredevej, Breefe, Breeley, brees, breesie, breeve, breez, breezd, Breezie, brenee, breue, brez, breze, brezee, Brezi, Brienzer, brooze, Btrieve, creeze, greeze, preeze. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "breeze" (pronounced brē"z) |
| 4 | b r ē" z | brees. |
| 3 | -r ē" z | agrees, decrees, degrees, disagrees, drees, frees, freeze, frieze, Rees, Reis, retirees, sprees, threes, trees. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
Direct Anagrams: beezer. | |
| Words within the letters "b-e-e-e-r-z" | |
-2 letters: beer, bree. | |
-3 letters: bee, ere, reb, ree, zee. | |
-4 letters: be, er, re. | |
| Words containing the letters "b-e-e-e-r-z" | |
+1 letter: beezers, breezed, breezes. | |
+2 letters: breezier. | |
+3 letters: breezeway, breeziest, embezzler, zeitgeber. | |
+4 letters: breezeless, breezeways, breeziness, embezzlers, zeitgebers. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Modern | 5. Usage: Commercial 6. Images: Slideshow 7. Images: Photo Album 8. Images: Digital Art | 9. Quotations: Familiar 10. Quotations: Fiction 11. Quotations: Non-fiction 12. Quotations: Speeches | 13. Usage Frequency 14. Names: Frequency 15. Expressions 16. Expressions: Internet | 17. Translations: Modern 18. Translations: Ancient 19. Derivations 20. Rhymes | 21. Anagrams 22. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.