brecan, st. v.: 1) _to break, to break to pieces_: pret. bānhringas bræc, (the sword) _broke the joints_, 1568. In a moral sense: pret. subj. þæt þǣr ǣnig mon wǣre ne brǣce, _that no one should break the agreement_, 1101; pret. part. þonne bīoð brocene ... āð-sweord eorla, _then are the oaths of the men broken_, 2064.--2) probably also simply _to break in upon something, to press upon_, w. acc.: pret. sg. sǣdēor monig hildetūxum heresyrcan bræc, _many a sea-animal pressed with his battle-teeth upon the shirt of mail_ (did not break it, for, according to 1549 f., 1553 f., it was still unharmed). 1512.--3) _to break out, to spring out_: inf. geseah ... strēam ūt brecan of beorge, _saw a stream break out from the rocks_, 2547; lēt se hearda Higelāces þegn brādne mēce ... brecan ofer bordweal, _caused the broadsword to spring out over the wall of shields_, 2981.--4) figuratively, _to vex, not to let rest_: pret. hine fyrwyt bræc, _curiosity tormented_ (N.H.G. brachte die Neugier um), 232, 1986, 2785. ge-brecan, _to break to pieces_: pret. bānhūs gebræc, _broke in pieces his body_ (Bēowulf in combat with Dæghrefn), 2509. tō-brecan, _to break in pieces_: inf., 781; pret. part. tō-brocen, 998. þurh-brecan, _to break through_, pret. wordes ord brēosthord þurh-bræc, _the word's point broke through his closed breast_, i.e. a word burst out from his breast, 2793. brecð, st. f., _condition of being broken, breach_: nom. pl. mōdes brecða (_sorrow of heart_), 171. ā-bredwian, w. v. w. acc., _to fell to the ground, to kill_ (?): pret. ābredwade, 2620. bregdan, st. v., properly _to swing round_, hence: 1) _to swing_: inf. under sceadu bregdan, _swing among the shadows, to send into the realm of shadows_, 708; pret. brægd ealde lāfe, _swung the old weapon_, 796; brægd feorh-genīðlan, _swung his mortal enemy_ (Grendel's mother), threw her down, 1540; pl. git ēagorstrēam ... mundum brugdon, _stirred the sea with your hands_ (of the movement of the hands in swimming), 514; pret. part. brōden (brogden) mǣl, _the drawn sword_, 1617, 1668.--2) _to knit, to knot, to plait_: inf., figuratively, inwitnet ōðrum bregdan, _to weave a waylaying net for another_ (as we say in the same way, to lay a trap for another, to dig a pit for another), 2168; pret. part. beadohrægl brōden, _a woven shirt of mail_ (because it consisted of metal rings joined together), 552; similarly, 1549; brogdne beadusercean, 2756. ā-bregdan, _to swing_: pret. hond up ā-bræd, _swung, raised his hand_, 2576. ge-bregdan: 1) _swing_: pret. hring-mǣl gebrægd, _swung the ringed sword_, 1565; eald sweord ēacen ... þæt ic þȳ wǣpne gebrægd, _an old heavy sword that I swung as my weapon_, 1665; with interchanging instr. and acc. wællseaxe gebrǣ, biter and beadu-scearp, 2704; also, _to draw out of the sheath_: sweord ǣr gebrǣ, _had drawn the sword before_, 2563.--2) _to knit, to knot, to plait_: pret. part. bere-byrne hondum gebrōden, 1444.