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bread line

American  
[bred-lahyn] / ˈbrɛdˌlaɪn /
Or breadline

noun

  1. a group of needy persons waiting in line for free food to be distributed by a government agency or charitable organization.


Etymology

Origin of bread line

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It’s another scuffle at a bread line and it appears that a bakery in Beirut has been illegally hoarding subsidized wheat imports.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 8, 2022

Her son was already on the bread line but the cost of living crisis has plunged him into poverty, she said.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2022

On a cold, wet afternoon this week, the mood in the bread line was bleak.

From New York Times • Dec. 15, 2021

His first entrée into politics comes when he’s plucked from a bread line and offered $2 to fraudulently vote for the incumbent mayor.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2021

Livingstone walked over and stood before his picture of the bread line.

From The Bread Line A Story of a Paper by Paine, Albert Bigelow