Definition and meaning of break down

break down (v. intr.)

1.suffer a nervous breakdown

2.become fractured; break or crack on the surface only"The glass cracked when it was heated"

3.(figurative)fail to get a passing grade"She studied hard but failed nevertheless" "Did I fail the test?"

4.(technical)come to a stop"The car stalled in the driveway"

break down (v. trans.)

1.tear down so as to make flat with the ground"The building was levelled"

2.to move or force, especially in an effort to get something open"The burglar jimmied the lock" "Raccoons managed to pry the lid off the garbage pail"

break down (v.)

1.collapse due to fatigue, an illness, or a sudden attack

2.separate (substances) into constituent elements or parts

3.stop operating or functioning"The engine finally went" "The car died on the road" "The bus we travelled in broke down on the way to town" "The coffee maker broke" "The engine failed on the way to town" "her eyesight went after the accident"

4.make a mathematical, chemical, or grammatical analysis of; break down into components or essential features"analyze a specimen" "analyze a sentence" "analyze a chemical compound"

5.make ineffective"Martin Luther King tried to break down racial discrimination"

6.cause to fall or collapse

7.lose control of one's emotions"When she heard that she had not passed the exam, she lost it completely" "When her baby died, she snapped"

8.fall apart"the building crumbled after the explosion" "Negotiations broke down"