verb Music Slang

Breakin

/ˈbreɪkɪn/ · verb · slang

Dancing to the breaks with footwork, spins, and freezes, the raw original form of breakdancing.

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Definitions

1

By extension, going all out or competing hard in a dance battle.

“Both crews were breakin' like the title was on the line.”
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2

The practice and art form of being a b-boy or b-girl.

“He took up breakin' the summer he saw a cipher on his block.”
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3

Dancing to the break sections of records using footwork, power moves, and freezes, one of hip-hop's four elements.

“They were breakin' in the park till the sun went down.”
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Breakin In A Sentence

She's been breakin' since she was twelve and it shows.
Nothing cleared a circle faster than someone breakin' hard.
They learned breakin' off worn-out tapes and pure repetition.

Origin & Usage

Born in the 1970s Bronx as dancers got down during a record's 'break', breakin' (later marketed as 'breakdancing') was the dance pillar of early hip-hop culture.

Variants breakingbreakdancingb-boyingbreakin'
Tags #hip-hop#old-school#1980s#vintage#breakdancing#dance

People Also Ask

What does breakin mean in slang?

It means dancing to the break of a record with footwork, freezes, and power moves, the original term for what's now called breakdancing.

Where did breakin come from?

From the 1970s Bronx, where dancers performed during the 'breaks' of records; it became hip-hop's dance element.

Is breakin the same as breakdancing?

Essentially yes, though insiders prefer 'breakin' or 'b-boying'; 'breakdancing' was a media and marketing term.

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