Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

breadline

/ˈbɹɛdlaɪn/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 1.76 in modern English

Syllables: bread-line
IPA: /ˈbɹɛdlaɪn/

12

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

2

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A line of people waiting to receive food from a charity.

American usage

noun

The lowest income level at which one's most basic necessities of survival are met; poverty line or subsistence level.

British usage

Example Sentences

"I do not think anyone of us can walk by a breadline and see even the most unkempt and raggedy man in the line without saying to himself, "There but for the grace of God.""
"Breadlines and social agencies, while staffing women, employed more men and served more men, making women a minority in the visual landscape."
"Every day brings new worries about falling below the breadline."
"[…] and she wasn't used to cash, living on the breadline with a kid to bring up."
"It hurt him to see other good ex-servicemen working their socks off and making no-gooders comfortable while they remained just over the breadline."
"It changed her. Having lived below the breadline, having lived with excess, was it about to change once more?"

Etymology

From bread + line. In sense 2, referring to the income level at which one can afford to buy bread, a staple food.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈbɹɛdlaɪn/
British English: /ˈbɹɛdlaɪn/

Usage

American usage
British usage

Inflected Forms

breadlines (plural) bread line (alternative)

Derived Forms

breadliner

Phrases

below the breadline on the breadline poverty line

Frequently Paired Words

poverty line soupline

Synonyms

bread line

Questions

How do you pronounce breadline?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈbɹɛdlaɪn/.
What does breadline mean?: A line of people waiting to receive food from a charity.
Where does breadline come from?: From bread + line. In sense 2, referring to the income level at which one can afford to buy bread, a staple food.

How to pronounce breadline

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “breadline”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈbɹɛdlaɪn/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “breadline”.
Repeat and practice — Say “breadline” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.