Daily entries from the 17th century London diary
A harbour
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Breach a word of many parts, but nae mention of harbour.
breach, n. [OED ]
I. The action of breaking.
. a. The physical action of breaking; the fact of being broken; breakage, fracture. Obs.
a1000
b. breach of the day: ‘break’ of day. Obs.
1579
2. The breaking of waves on a coast or over a vessel; hence, the nautical phr. clean, clear breach.
1601 SHAKES. Twel. N. II. i. 23 Before you tooke me from breach of the sea.
3. fig. The breaking of a command, rule, engagement, duty, or of any legal or moral bond or obligation; violation, infraction: common in such phrases as breach of contract, covenant, faith, promise, trust.
[c1025
b. spec. and techn., as breach of arrestment, illegal disposal of property which has been ‘attached’, or placed under the control of a law-court; breach of close, unlawful entry upon private ground, trespass; breach of (the) peace, an infringement or violation of the public peace by an affray, riot, or other disturbance; breach of pound, the action of breaking into a pound or similar enclosure without right or warrant; breach of prison, escape of a prisoner from confinement; breach of privilege, a violation of the rights of a privileged body; breach of promise, gen. as in prec. sense; spec. = breach of promise to marry.
1590 SHAKES. Com. Err. IV. i. 49 You vse this dalliance to excuse Your breach of promise to the Porpentine
c. In colloq. use, short for breach of promise.
1840
4. An irruption into; an infringement upon; an inroad, injurious assault. Obs.
1579
5. a. A breaking of relations (of union or continuity).
1625 BACON Unity in Relig., Ess. (Arb.) 423 Nothing, doth so much..drive Men out of the Church, as Breach of Unity.
b. absol. A break-up of friendly relations; rupture, separation, difference, disagreement, quarrel.
1573
6. The leaping of a whale clear out of the water.
a1843
6. The leaping of a whale clear out of the water.
a1843
b. A disrupted place, gap, or fissure, caused by the separation of continuous parts; a break.
1530
b. A disrupted place, gap, or fissure, caused by the separation of continuous parts; a break.
1530
d. fig.
1605 SHAKES. Lear IV. vii. 15 Cure this great breach in his abused Nature.
8. Surf made by the sea breaking over rocks; broken water, breakers. Obs.
1624 CAPT. SMITH Virginia (1629) 19 We found many shoules and breaches.
10. A break in continuity, an interruption, interval; a division marked by breaks or intervals.
1589
11. A condition of broken relations; a gap in sentiment or sympathy.
1745
12. A piece of land broken up by the plough. dial.
1594 PLAT Jewel-ho. I. 43 marg., Erith breaches [that surrounded leuell at Erith]. {emem} New Sorte of Soyle 44 That exceeding fertilitie which I have herd commended in those two breaches, even by the severall farmers thereof