break-down

Noun

breakdown (countable and uncountable, plural breakdowns)

1. (countable) A failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature.
   • Whenever he was behind the wheel, he would panic at the first sign of a breakdown.
   1. (uncountable) The sudden (and usually damaging) transition of an electrical insulator to a conductor when subjected to a sufficiently strong voltage, caused by the partial or complete ionization of the insulator; (countable) an instance of this; also, the minimum voltage at which this occurs.
2. (countable) Something, such as a vehicle, that has experienced a mechanical failure.
   • We saw a breakdown by the side of the road.
3. (uncountable) Detailed categorization, or itemization or listing, of the components of a thing; (countable) an instance of this.
   • Looking at the breakdown of the budget, I see a few items we could cut.
4. (uncountable) Breaking of chemical bonds within a compound to produce simpler compounds or elements; (countable) an instance of this.
5. (countable) A detailed description of a forthcoming project or screenplay which identifies all the required elements, such as the cast, costumes, equipment, props, and special effects.

See all 17 meanings of breakdown