breach of the peace

Noun

breach of the peace (plural breaches of the peace)

1. The legal offense of engaging in public behavior which is violent, rowdy, or disruptive.
   • [T]he sheriff turned his eyes again. . . . "What have we here?" he cried; "two men boxing! Has there been a breach of the peace?"1823, James Fenimore Cooper, chapter 32, in The Pioneers
   • Short of high treason, the gravest form of breach of the peace known to British law is riot.1938 May 16, “Jamaica: Riot Act”, in Time
2. (broadly) Any public disturbance or disorderly behavior.
   • Polly's suspicions were louder, her temper became uncertain; once or twice she forgot herself and used language calculated to cause a breach of the peace.1898, George Gissing, chapter 20, in The Town Traveller
   • Then, suddenly, the singing fell upon us and broke the silence into ruins. It was in the nature of a breach of the peace.1912, Irving Bacheller, chapter 14, in ‘Charge It’