breakfast

noun

break·​fast ˈbrek-fəst 

1

: the first meal of the day especially when taken in the morning

2

: the food prepared for a breakfast

eat your breakfast

breakfast verb

breakfaster noun

Examples of breakfast in a Sentence

I had pancakes for breakfast.

Did you have breakfast before you left?

Recent Examples on the Web

Guests can enjoy a delightful complimentary breakfast (yogurt and granola, juices, coffee, and baked goods) or order from the full-service menu for an additional fee. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Feb. 2026

On Thursday morning, lawmakers gathered for the first pension breakfast, an annual event with public sector unions to talk about pension issues. —Mary Murphy, Twin Cities, 16 Feb. 2026

Big Breakfast Deal that comes with a hash brown, any size hot or iced coffee and a Sizzli breakfast sandwich. —Cheryl V. Jackson, IndyStar, 16 Feb. 2026

Bread dough The morning after Cathy and Heathcliff spy on Joseph (Ewan Mitchell) and Zillah’s (Amy Morgan) kinky stable tryst, Cathy loses her composure at the breakfast table watching a very wet dough (focaccia, maybe? —Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English brekfast, from the phrase breken fast "to break one's fast, end abstinence from food"

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing breakfast

• a dog's breakfast
• bed-and-breakfast
• breakfast bar
• Continental breakfast
• cooked breakfast
• dog's breakfast
• English breakfast
• pre-breakfast
• working/business breakfast

Kids Definition

breakfast

noun

break·​fast ˈbrek-fəst 

: the first meal of the day

breakfast verb