| / English Dictionary |
BREAKDOWN
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
The act of disrupting an established order so it fails to continue
Example:
his warning came after the breakdown of talks in London
Synonyms:
breakdown; dislocation
Classified under:
Nouns denoting acts or actions
Hypernyms ("breakdown" is a kind of...):
disruption; perturbation (the act of causing disorder)
Derivation:
break down (make ineffective)
Sense 2
Meaning:
An analysis into mutually exclusive categories
Synonyms:
breakdown; partitioning
Classified under:
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents
Hypernyms ("breakdown" is a kind of...):
analysis; analytic thinking (the abstract separation of a whole into its constituent parts in order to study the parts and their relations)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "breakdown"):
resolution; resolving (analysis into clear-cut components)
Derivation:
break down (make a mathematical, chemical, or grammatical analysis of; break down into components or essential features)
Sense 3
Meaning:
A cessation of normal operation
Example:
there was a power breakdown
Synonyms:
breakdown; equipment failure
Classified under:
Hypernyms ("breakdown" is a kind of...):
failure (an event that does not accomplish its intended purpose)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "breakdown"):
brake failure (brakes fail to stop a vehicle)
engine failure (engine does not run)
dud; misfire (an explosion that fails to occur)
outage (a temporary suspension of operation (as of computers))
power failure; power outage (equipment failure resulting when the supply of power fails)
fault ((electronics) equipment failure attributable to some defect in a circuit (loose connection or insulation failure or short circuit etc.))
Derivation:
break down (stop operating or functioning)
Sense 4
Meaning:
(biology) the process of decay caused by bacterial or fungal action
Synonyms:
breakdown; decomposition; putrefaction; rot; rotting
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural processes
Hypernyms ("breakdown" is a kind of...):
decay (the process of gradually becoming inferior)
Domain category:
biological science; biology (the science that studies living organisms)
Derivation:
break down (separate (substances) into constituent elements or parts)
Sense 5
Meaning:
A mental or physical breakdown
Synonyms:
breakdown; crack-up
Classified under:
Nouns denoting stable states of affairs
Hypernyms ("breakdown" is a kind of...):
collapse; prostration (an abrupt failure of function or complete physical exhaustion)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "breakdown"):
nervous breakdown (a severe or incapacitating emotional disorder)
Derivation:
break down (collapse due to fatigue, an illness, or a sudden attack)
break down (lose control of one's emotions)
Context examples:
A finding of leakage of bile due to breakdown of a biliary anastomosis (surgical connection of two separate anatomic structures).
(Biliary Anastomotic Leakage, NCI Thesaurus/CTCAE)
A dark orange, yellow pigment that is the product of the breakdown of iron in the blood; it is conjugated in the liver and excreted in the bile.
(Bilirubin, NCI Thesaurus)
C. testosteroni is found in soil and water, is used in industry to breakdown industrial by-products, and is rarely found to be pathogenic in humans.
(Comamonas testosteroni, NCI Thesaurus)
The breakdown product of creatine, a constituent of muscle tissue, that is excreted by the kidney and whose serum level is used to evaluate kidney function.
(Creatinine, NCI Thesaurus)
Leakage due to breakdown of a pancreatic anastomosis.
(Pancreatic Anastomotic Leakage, NCI Thesaurus)
Activation of cyclin B-Cdc2 causes breakdown of the germinal vesicle and the initiation of oocyte maturation.
(Oocyte Maturation Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)
A finding of leakage due to breakdown of a pancreatic anastomosis (surgical connection of two separate anatomic structures).
(Pancreatic Anastomotic Leakage, NCI Thesaurus/CTCAE)
The PEG moiety inhibits proteolytic breakdown and clearance of IFN-a2b, which prolongs its half-life, extends the duration of its therapeutic effects and allows less frequent dosing.
(PEG-Proline-Interferon Alfa-2b, NCI Thesaurus)
The PEG moiety inhibits proteolytic breakdown and clearance of AM0010, which prolongs its half-life, extends the duration of its therapeutic effects and allows less frequent dosing.
(Pegylated Recombinant Human Interleukin-10 AM0010, NCI Thesaurus)
The lysis (breakdown) of cancer cells.
(Oncolysis, NCI Dictionary)
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