bread
brehd
Bread (noun) means a food made by baking a mixture of flour, water, and usually yeast. Example: “She baked a fresh loaf of bread every Sunday morning.”
noun
1
A food made by baking a mixture of flour, water, and usually yeast.
"She baked a fresh loaf of bread every Sunday morning."
"He spread butter on a thick slice of bread."
"We bought a loaf of brown bread from the corner bakery."
2
Money, especially as needed for a living (informal).
"He worked two jobs just to earn enough bread to get by."
"I need to make some bread before the end of the month."
"Students are always short of bread, so they cook cheap meals at home."
3
The basic means of supporting life; sustenance in general.
"Farming was their daily bread for three generations."
"For many in the village, fishing was their bread and their whole way of life."
"He worked two jobs just to earn his bread and keep a roof overhead."
How to use bread
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe baked food staple, or informally, money/livelihood.
When to use it
The "money" sense is informal slang.
Common pairings
loaf of bread
daily bread
bread and butter
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like bread.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- breads
- Third person singular
- breads
- Past tense
- breaded
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She baked a fresh loaf of _____ every Sunday morning.
Etymology
From Old English brēad, from a prehistoric Germanic root connected with brewing or fermenting — likely referring originally to a "leavened" or "raised" dough rather than the flatbreads eaten earlier.
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for bread
See all rhymes for bread →Frequently asked questions
What does “bread” mean?
The word “bread” means a food made by baking a mixture of flour, water, and usually yeast. In plain terms, the baked food staple, or informally, money/livelihood.
How do you pronounce “bread”?
“Bread” is pronounced brehd (/bɹɛd/ in IPA).
How do you use “bread” in a sentence?
Here is “bread” used in a sentence: “She baked a fresh loaf of bread every Sunday morning.”
What part of speech is “bread”?
“Bread” is a noun.
Where does the word “bread” come from?
The word “bread” comes from Old English. From Old English brēad, from a prehistoric Germanic root connected with brewing or fermenting — likely referring originally to a "leavened" or "raised" dough rather than the flatbreads eaten earlier.
Is “bread” a common word?
“Bread” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “bread” have?
“Bread” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a food made by baking a mixture of flour, water, and usually yeast.
What are the main types of bread?
Breads are often grouped by whether they rise. Leavened breads use yeast or another agent to rise, giving loaves like white, wholemeal, sourdough, and baguettes. Flatbreads such as pita, naan, and tortillas use little or no rising agent. Breads also vary by grain, shape, and how they are baked.
What is the difference between bread and dough?
Dough is the raw, uncooked mixture of flour, water, and usually yeast, kneaded together before baking. Bread is what that dough becomes once it has risen and been baked in the oven. In short, dough is the starting material and bread is the finished, edible result.
Why does bread need yeast?
Yeast makes bread rise. As it ferments, it produces carbon dioxide gas that forms bubbles in the dough, giving the loaf a light, airy texture. Without yeast or another raising agent, bread stays dense and flat, like a cracker or flatbread. Yeast also adds flavour as it ferments.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include bread:
