to break down

Definition of to break down in English English dictionary: to decay
Leaves and grass will break down into compost faster if you keep them moist.; to become unstable, mentally or otherwise
She is back to work now, after her break down.; to fail
I am afraid my computer will break down if I try to run it at too high a speed.; to give more detail
If you don't understand, ask him to break down the numbers for you.; When a substance breaks down or when something breaks it down, a biological or chemical process causes it to separate into the substances which make it up. Over time, the protein in the eggshell breaks down into its constituent amino acids The oil is attacked by naturally occurring microbes which break it down; If you break down a door or barrier, you hit it so hard that it falls to the ground. An unruly mob broke down police barricades and stormed the courtroom Firemen were called after his father failed to break the door down; make a mathematical, chemical, or grammatical analysis of; break down into components or essential features; "analyze a specimen"; "analyze a sentence"; "analyze a chemical compound"; approval To break down barriers or prejudices that separate people or restrict their freedom means to change people's attitudes so that the barriers or prejudices no longer exist. His early experience enabled him to break down barriers between Scottish Catholics and Protestants. see also breakdown, broken-down; cause to fall or collapse lose control of one's emotions; "When she heard that she had not passed the exam, she lost it completely"; "When her baby died, she snapped; collapse due to fatigue, an illness, or a sudden attack; lose control of one's emotions; "When she heard that she had not passed the exam, she lost it completely"; "When her baby died, she snapped"; If someone breaks down, they lose control of themselves and start crying. Because he was being so kind and concerned, I broke down and cried; If a discussion, relationship, or system breaks down, it fails because of a problem or disagreement. Talks with business leaders broke down last night Paola's marriage broke down; fall apart; "the building crimbled after the explosion"; "Negociations broke down"; cause to fall or collapse; To break down something such as an idea or statement means to separate it into smaller parts in order to make it easier to understand or deal with. The report breaks down the results region by region These rules tell us how a sentence is broken down into phrases; collapse due to fatigue, an illness, or a sudden attack make ineffective; "Martin Luther King tried to break down racial discrimination"; If a machine or a vehicle breaks down, it stops working. Their car broke down; make ineffective; "Martin Luther King tried to break down racial discrimination"; stop operating or functioning; "The engine finally went"; "The car died on the road"; "The bus we travelled in broke down on the way to town"; "The coffee maker broke"; "The engine failed on the way to town"; "her eyesight went after the accident"; separate (substances) into constituent elements or parts; break, collapse under its own weight; spoil, decompose; degrade