breech

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

breech, n. [See Breeches.].

•  The lower part of the body behind; the buttocks.  [1913 Webster]
•  Breeches.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]
•  The hinder part of anything; esp., the part of a cannon, or other firearm, behind the chamber.  [1913 Webster]
•  The external angle of knee timber, the inside of which is called the throat.  [1913 Webster]

breech, v. t. 

•  To put into, or clothe with, breeches.  [1913 Webster]

  "A great man . . . anxious to know whether the blacksmith's youngest boy was breeched."  [1913 Webster]
•  To cover as with breeches.  [1913 Webster]

  "Their daggers unmannerly breeched with gore."  [1913 Webster]
•  To fit or furnish with a breech; as, to breech a gun.  [1913 Webster]
•  To whip on the breech.  [1913 Webster]

  "Had not a courteous serving man conveyed me away, whilst he went to fetch whips, I think, in my conscience, he would have breeched me."  [1913 Webster]
•  To fasten with breeching.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

breech, n. & v.
--n.
1 a the part of a cannon behind the bore. b the back part of a rifle or gun barrel.
2 archaic the buttocks.
--v.tr. archaic put (a boy) into breeches after being in petticoats since birth.

Idiom

breech birth (or delivery) the delivery of a baby with the buttocks or feet foremost. breech-block a metal block which closes the breech aperture in a gun. breech-loader a gun loaded at the breech, not through the muzzle. breech-loading (of a gun) loaded at the breech, not through the muzzle.

Etymology

OE broc, pl. brec (treated as sing. in ME), f. Gmc

THESAURUS

breech

afterpart, afterpiece, back, back door, back seat, back side, backside, bed, bedrock, behind, belly, bottom, bottom side, buttocks, derriere, downside, fanny, fundament, hardpan, heel, hind end, hind part, hindhead, lower side, lowest layer, lowest level, nether side, nethermost level, occiput, posterior, postern, rear, rear end, rearward, reverse, rock bottom, rump, stern, substratum, tail, tail end, tailpiece, underbelly, underlayer, underneath, underside

ROGET THESAURUS

breech

Rear

N rear, back, posteriority, rear rank, rear guard, background, hinterland, occiput, nape, chine, heels, tail, rump, croup, buttock, posteriors, backside scut, breech, dorsum, loin, dorsal region, lumbar region, hind quarters, aitchbone, natch, natch bone, stern, poop, afterpart, heelpiece, crupper, wake, train, reverse, other side of the shield, back, rear, hind, hinder, hindmost, hindermost, postern, posterior, dorsal, after, caudal, lumbar, mizzen, tergal, behind, in the rear, in the background, behind one's back, at the heels of, at the tail of, at the back of, back to back, after, aft, abaft, astern, sternmost, aback, rearward, ogni medaglia ha il suo rovescio, the other side of the coin.