break (redirected from kick downstairs)

break

(1) To temporarily or permanently stop executing, printing or transmitting.

(2) In cryptography, to decrypt a ciphertext without knowing the key or to find a flaw in an encryption algorithm or implementation that permits such cryptanalysis.

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break [brāk]

(computer science)

To interrupt processing by a computer, usually by depressing a key.

A place in a file of records where one or more of the values in the records change.

(electricity)

A fault in a circuit.

The minimum distance in a circuit-opening device between the stationary and movable contacts when these contacts are in the open position.

(electronics)

A reflected radar pulse which appears on a radarscope as a line perpendicular to the base line.

(geography)

A significant variation of topography, such as a deep valley.

(geology)

knickpoint

(meteorology)

A sudden change in the weather; usually applied to the end of an extended period of unusually hot, cold, wet, or dry weather.

A hole or gap in a layer of clouds.

(mining engineering)

A plane of discontinuity in the coal seam such as a slip, fracture, or cleat; the surfaces are in contact or slightly separated.

A fracture or crack in the roof beds as a result of mining operations.

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1.		break - To cause to be broken. "Your latest patch to the editor broke the paragraph commands."
2.		break - (Of a program) To stop temporarily, so that it may debugged. The place where it stops is a "breakpoint".
3.		break - To send an EIA-232 break (two character widths of line high) over a serial line.
4.		break - [Unix] To strike whatever key currently causes the tty driver to send SIGINT to the current process. Normally, break, delete or control-C does this.
5.		break - "break break" may be said to interrupt a conversation (this is an example of verb doubling). This usage comes from radio communications, which in turn probably came from landline telegraph/teleprinter usage, as badly abused in the Citizen's Band craze.
6.		break - pipeline break.
7.		break - break statement.