Search
Select the dictionary language
The breadline
01
an informal threshold of income that marks the level at which a person or household is regarded as very poor or barely able to afford basic necessities
IdiomWhat is the origin of the idiom "the breadline" and when to use it?
The idiom "the breadline" originated in the early 20th century during the Great Depression, which began in 1929 and lasted for several years. This phrase is used to describe the income level or economic threshold below which a person or family is considered to be living in poverty and experiencing financial hardship.
Examples
Charities warned that cuts to benefits would push more seniors down onto the breadline.
Economists argued that the official measure underestimated the number of households actually on the breadline.
02
a line of people waiting to receive free food or other emergency relief distributed by a charity, agency, or community group
Examples
Volunteers handed out sandwiches to those standing in the breadline outside the community center.
During the weeks after the factory closed, the breadline at the church grew longer each morning.
