Breeze

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -iːz

From Middle English brese, from Old English brēosa, variant of Old English brimsa ("gadfly"), from Proto-Germanic *bremusī ("gadfly"), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerem- ("to make a noise, buzz, hum"). Cognate with Eastern Frisian brims ("gadfly"), Dutch brems ("horsefly, warblefly"), German Bremse ("gadfly, horsefly"), Danish bremse ("gadfly, horsefly"), Swedish broms ("gadfly, horsefly"). Related also to Middle English brimse ("gadfly"), Old English bremman ("to rage, roar"), Latin fremō ("roar, snort, growl, grumble"). See also bream.

Alternative forms

• breese

Full definition of breeze

Noun

1. A gadfly; a horsefly.
2. A strong-bodied dipterous insect of the family Tabanidae.

Verb

1. (intransitive) To buzz.

1555, nautical term brise ("breeze"), from Dutch bries ("breeze"), from Eastern Frisian brîse ("breeze"), from brisen ("to blow fresh and strong"). Formally related to Albanian breshër ("hail").

Alternative forms

• brize obsolete
• briess obsolete

Noun

1. A light, gentle wind.The breeze rustled the papers on her desk.
• WordsworthInto a gradual calm the breezes sink.
• 1907, w, The Younger Set Chapter 5, Breezes blowing from beds of iris quickened her breath with their perfume; she saw the tufted lilacs sway in the wind, and the streamers of rose-tinted wistaria swinging, all a-glisten with golden bees ; … .
2. Any activity that is easy, not testing or difficult.After studying Latin, Spanish was a breeze.
3. (cricket) Wind blowing across a cricket match, whatever its strength.
4. Ashes and residue of coal or charcoal, usually from a furnace. Clinker_(waste).
5. An excited or ruffled state of feeling; a flurry of excitement; a disturbance; a quarrel.The discovery produced a breeze.

Coordinate terms

• (gentle wind) gale, hurricane, storm

Synonyms

Antonyms

Verb

1. (usually with along) To move casually, in a carefree manner.
2. (weather) To blow gently.
• 21 January 2014, Hermione Hoby, Julia Roberts interview for August: Osage County – 'I might actually go to hell for this ...': Julia Roberts reveals why her violent, Oscar-nominated performance in August: Osage County made her feel 'like a terrible person' [print version: 'I might actually go to hell for this ...' (18 January 2014, p. R4)], She's sitting opposite a window that's gently breezing into her face, wafting her hair into cover-girl perfection ...
3. To take a horse under a light run in order to understand the running characteristics of the horse and to observe it while under motion.

Anagrams

• beezer