breaststroke

US/ˈbɹɛstˌstɹoʊk/

nounB2+Rare in speech; mostly a word you read · #12,803 of 15,258mostly written

Breaststroke is a swimming style with both arms sweeping together. Swim breaststroke, the breaststroke leg, a breaststroke turn.

It is the slowest of the four competitive strokes and by far the most popular for ordinary swimming, because the head can stay above water. The rules are the most detailed of any stroke — the kick, the pull and the turn are all specified, and disqualification for an illegal kick is common. Note that it is the oldest stroke, shown in cave paintings.

Definitions of breaststroke

1nounbreaststrokeA swimming style with both arms sweeping together.B2+
“The breaststroke leg is about fifty metres.”

breaststroke is a swimming stroke.

Where it comes from

Breast plus stroke, a plain compound. The name describes the arms sweeping out from the breast, and stroke means one complete movement.

From breast + stroke.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practised in Sports & Games Played, Swimming & Diving

Practise this word

breaststroke in the wild

In most swimming classes, beginners learn either the breaststroke or the freestyle (front crawl) first.
Breaststroke
However, at the competitive level, swimming breaststroke at speed requires endurance and strength comparable to other strokes.
Breaststroke
Jones is noted for employing a classic breaststroke technique, typified by a slow but deeper stroke cycle and also by her slow starts.
Leisel Jones
Along with South African champion Penny Heyns, she is regarded as one of the greatest breaststroke swimmers ever.
Leisel Jones
Brendan Joseph Hansen is an American former competition swimmer who specialized in breaststroke events.
Brendan Hansen

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From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

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