break wind

verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"break-wind" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“break wind” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To expel gases generated during digestion, especially through the anus; to fart.

Key facts for break wind
PropertyValue
Headwordbreak wind
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “break wind” sits in English frequency

break wind falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

break wind is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "To expel gases generated during digestion, especially through the anus; to fart.".

break wind has no tracked misspelling variants, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: First attested 1552. From break + wind (“flatulence”). Compare Saterland Frisian wiendje (“to break wind”). The correct English form is break wind, spelled B-R-E-A-K- -W-I-N-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    To expel gases generated during digestion, especially through the anus; to fart.

Etymology

First attested 1552. From break + wind (“flatulence”). Compare Saterland Frisian wiendje (“to break wind”).

Synonyms

let offlet one ripbreak asspass gaspass windcut the cheesefartflatulatetootguff

This word in other languages

peer(Español)lâcher(Français)furzen(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "break wind"?
"break wind" is spelled B-R-E-A-K- -W-I-N-D.
What does "break wind" mean?
As a verb, "break wind" means: To expel gases generated during digestion, especially through the anus; to fart.
What is the origin of the word "break wind"?
First attested 1552. From break + wind (“flatulence”). Compare Saterland Frisian wiendje (“to break wind”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “break wind”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is B-R-E-A-K- -W-I-N-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list