FromMiddle Englishabrest. Bysurface analysis,a-(“on, at”) +‎breast, meaning “breasts (chests) in line, side-by-side and exactly equally advanced”;^[1] roughly “breast-by-breast”.

• IPA^(key):/əˈbɹɛst/

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• Rhymes:-ɛst
• Hyphenation:abreast

abreast (notcomparable)

1. Side by side and facingforward.[First attested from around (1350 to 1470.)]^[2]

   Hyponym:neck and neck(as horses racing)

   Coordinate term:tandem

   • 2012 July 15, Richard Williams, “Tour de France 2012: Carpet tacks cannot force Bradley Wiggins off track”, inGuardian Unlimited‎^[1]:

     On Sunday afternoon it was as dark as night, with barely room for two ridersabreast on a gradient that touches 20%.

   • 1859,Thomas Babington Macaulay,The History of England from the Accession of James the Second:

     The only path was narrow and rugged: two men could hardly walkabreast;

2. (figurative) Alongside; parallel to.[First attested in the mid 17^th century.]^[2]
3. Informed, well-informed, familiar, acquainted.[First attested in the mid 17^th century.]^[2]
4. Followed byof orwith: up to a certain level or line;equally advanced.[First attested in the mid 17^th century.]^[2]

   She believes it is important to keepabreast of new scientific developments.

5. (Scotland) Breast high (of an advancing wave).

   The west wind blew a tempest, and, according to the common expression, brought in the water [of the Solway] three footabreast.

6. (nautical) Side by side; also, opposite; on a line with thevessel's beam.[First attested in the late 17^th century.]^[2]
7. (obsolete) At the same time;simultaneously.
   • 1842,Thomas Fuller,The Church History of Britain, From the birth of Jesus Christ until the year MDCXLVIII., 3rd edition, volume 1, page412:

     Abreast therewith began a convocation.

• (nautical): Abreast is followed by the wordof.
• (alongside): Abreast is followed byof.
• (informed): Abreast is followed byof.
• (up to a certain level): Abreast is followed byof.

• (informed):apprised,informed,up to date,up-to-date

abreast (notcomparable)

1. Side by side, facing forward.[First attested from around (1350 to 1470.)]^[2]
2. (figurative) Alongside; parallel to.[First attested in the mid 17^th century.]^[2]
3. Informed, well-informed, familiar, acquainted.[First attested in the mid 17^th century.]^[2]
4. Up to a certain level or line;equally advanced[First attested in the mid 17^th century.]^[2]

   to keepabreast of [or with] the present state of science

   • c.1900,Kate Chopin,A Reflection:

     Some people are born with a vital and responsive energy. It not only enables them to keepabreast of the times; it qualifies them to furnish in their own personality a good bit of the motive power to the mad pace.

5. (nautical) Side by side; also, opposite; over against; on a line with thevessel's beam.[First attested in the late 17^th century.]^[2]

abreast

1. Abreast of; alongside.^[3]

   This ship sankabreast the island.

• “abreast”, inOneLook Dictionary Search.
• William Dwight Whitney,Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “abreast”, inThe Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.:The Century Co.,→OCLC.
• “abreast,adv.”, inThe Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh:Scottish Language Dictionaries, 2004–present,→OCLC.

• Baaster,Sabater,Tabares,abaters,bat ears,rabates