# abreast
## English
### Etymology

From Middle English abrest. By surface analysis, a- (“on, at”) +‎ breast, meaning “breasts (chests) in line, side-by-side and exactly equally advanced”; roughly “breast-by-breast”.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /əˈbɹɛst/
* Audio (US):(file)
* Audio (General Australian):(file)
* Rhymes: -ɛst
* Hyphenation: abreast

### Adverb

abreast (not comparable)
* Side by side and facing forward. [First attested from around (1350 to 1470.)]
    Hyponym: neck and neck (as horses racing)
    Coordinate term: tandem
** 2012 July 15, Richard Williams, “Tour de France 2012: Carpet tacks cannot force Bradley Wiggins off track”, in Guardian Unlimited‎:On Sunday afternoon it was as dark as night, with barely room for two riders abreast on a gradient that touches 20%.
** 1859, Thomas Babington Macaulay, The History of England from the Accession of James the Second:The only path was narrow and rugged: two men could hardly walk abreast;
* (figurative) Alongside; parallel to. [First attested in the mid 17th century.]
* Informed, well-informed, familiar, acquainted. [First attested in the mid 17th century.]
* Followed by of or with: up to a certain level or line; equally advanced. [First attested in the mid 17th century.]
    She believes it is important to keep abreast of new scientific developments.
* (Scotland) Breast high (of an advancing wave).
    The west wind blew a tempest, and, according to the common expression, brought in the water [of the Solway] three foot abreast.
* (nautical) Side by side; also, opposite; on a line with the vessel's beam. [First attested in the late 17th century.]
* (obsolete) At the same time; simultaneously.
** 1842, Thomas Fuller, The Church History of Britain, From the birth of Jesus Christ until the year MDCXLVIII., 3rd edition, volume 1, page 412:Abreast therewith began a convocation.

#### Usage notes

* (nautical): Abreast is followed by the word of.
* (alongside): Abreast is followed by of.
* (informed): Abreast is followed by of.
* (up to a certain level): Abreast is followed by of.

#### Synonyms

* (informed): apprised, informed, up to date, up-to-date

#### Derived terms

* line abreast

#### Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

### Adjective

abreast (not comparable)
* Side by side, facing forward. [First attested from around (1350 to 1470.)]
* (figurative) Alongside; parallel to. [First attested in the mid 17th century.]
* Informed, well-informed, familiar, acquainted. [First attested in the mid 17th century.]
* Up to a certain level or line; equally advanced [First attested in the mid 17th century.]
    to keep abreast of [or with] the present state of science
** c. 1900, Kate Chopin, A Reflection:Some people are born with a vital and responsive energy. It not only enables them to keep abreast of the times; it qualifies them to furnish in their own personality a good bit of the motive power to the mad pace.
* (nautical) Side by side; also, opposite; over against; on a line with the vessel's beam. [First attested in the late 17th century.]

### Preposition

abreast
* Abreast of; alongside.
    This ship sank abreast the island.

### References

* “abreast”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
* William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “abreast”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
* “abreast, adv.”, in The Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries, 2004–present, →OCLC.
* ↑ Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “abreast”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Lesley Brown, editor-in-chief, William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, editors (2002), “abreast”, in The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 5th edition, Oxford, New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 8.
* ↑ Philip Babcock Gove (editor), Webster's Third International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged (G. & C. Merriam Co., 1976 [1909], →ISBN), page 5

### Anagrams

* Baaster, Sabater, Tabares, abaters, bat ears, rabates