break off

Verb

break off (third-person singular simple present breaks off, present participle breaking off, simple past broke off, past participle broken off)

1. (transitive) To remove a piece from a whole by breaking or snapping.
   • She unwrapped the slab of chocolate and broke off a piece.
   • The bees came and found no one but the Woodman to sting, so they flew at him and broke off all their stings against the tin, without hurting the Woodman at all.1900 May 17, L[yman] Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Chicago, Ill.; New York, N.Y.: Geo[rge] M[elvin] Hill Co., →OCLC
2. (intransitive) To become detached by breaking or snapping.
   • A chunk of rock broke off from the cliff face.
3. (transitive) To discontinue abruptly.
   • Both families want the lovers to break off any relationship they may have.
   • When the yacht had passed the man resumed the conversation that her appearance had broken off.1913, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Return of Tarzan, New York: Ballantine Books, published 1963, page 101
4. (intransitive) To end abruptly, either temporarily or permanently.
   • Our school doesn't break off until July.
   • Then the conversation broke off, and there was little more talking, only a noise of men going backwards and forwards, and of putting down of kegs and the hollow gurgle of good liquor being poured from breakers into the casks.[1898], J[ohn] Meade Falkner, Moonfleet, London; Toronto, Ont.: Jonathan Cape, published 1934, →OCLC
5. (ambitransitive) To play the first shot in a frame of snooker, billiards or pool.
   • Ted's opening line, when Steve broke off for the deciding frame, was, 'Last night we put our clocks back one hour. These two stars turned theirs back to April.'2017, John Virgo, Say Goodnight, JV - My Autobiography, John Blake Publishing, →ISBN
6. (slang, transitive, African-American Vernacular) To give (someone) (something); to allow (someone) to take (something); to grant (someone) a share or portion of (something).
   • If you help, I'll break you off a piece of the proceeds.