broken: Meaning and Definition of

bro•ken

1. pp. of

1. reduced to fragments; fragmented.
2. ruptured; torn; fractured.
3. not functioning properly; out of working order.
4. (of sky cover) being more than half, but not totally, covered by clouds. Cf. scattered (def. 4).
5. changing direction abruptly: The fox ran in a broken line.
6. fragmentary or incomplete: a broken ton of coal weighing 1,500 pounds.
7. infringed or violated: A broken promise is a betrayal of trust.
8. interrupted, disrupted, or disconnected: After the phone call he returned to his broken sleep.
9. weakened in strength, spirit, etc.: His broken health was due to alcoholism.
10. tamed, trained, or reduced to submission: The horse was broken to the saddle.
11. imperfectly spoken, as language: She still speaks broken English.
12. spoken in a halting or fragmentary manner, as under emotional strain: He uttered a few broken words of sorrow.
13. disunited or divided: Divorce results in broken families.
14. not smooth; rough or irregular: We left the plains and rode through broken country.
15. ruined; bankrupt: the broken fortunes of his family.
16. a quantity of paper of less than 500 or 1000 sheets.