breeching

American  

[brich-ing, bree-ching] / ˈbrɪtʃ ɪŋ, ˈbri tʃɪŋ /

noun

1. the part of a harness that passes around the haunches of a horse.

2. a smoke pipe connecting one or more boilers with a chimney.

3. Navy. (formerly) a strong rope fastened to a ship's side for securing a gun or checking its recoil.

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breeching British  

/ ˈbriː-, ˈbrɪtʃɪŋ /

noun

1. the strap of a harness that passes behind a horse's haunches

2. navy (formerly) the rope used to check the recoil run of a ship's guns or to secure them against rough weather

3. the parts comprising the breech of a gun

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Etymology

Origin of breeching

First recorded in 1505–15; breech + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Mr Stoppard praised zoology student Ben Hancock-Smith for capturing a photo of the whale breeching.

From BBC • Feb. 23, 2024

The idyllic views of the Pacific, and of the occasional humpback whale breeching below, make it seem like any other year at Kapalua.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 3, 2024

Quinn is the only guest that enjoys something like a transcendent private moment: a nighttime vision of a whale breeching in the ocean.

From Slate • Aug. 17, 2021

There has been a huge increase in the number of doctors prosecuted for breeching 219a in recent years.

From The Guardian • Mar. 11, 2018

He had come to know the precise moment when, in easing a heavy load down an incline, it was safe to slacken away on the breeching and trot gently.

From Horses Nine Stories of Harness and Saddle by Ford, Sewell