breadline
Definition
Noun: A line of people waiting to receive free food, typically provided by a charity or government agency, often due to poverty or economic hardship.
Usage
The word "breadline" specifically refers to the physical queue itself. It is used to describe a situation where people are in such need that they must wait for charitable food distribution.
Examples
- Noun:
- During the Great Depression, millions of Americans found themselves on the breadline.
- The charity organization serves hundreds of people in the breadline every day.
- He joined the breadline after losing his job and exhausting his savings.
Advanced Usage
- "to be on the breadline": An idiom meaning to be in a state of extreme poverty, relying on or eligible for charitable aid.
- After the factory closed, many families in the town were on the breadline.
Variants and Related Words
- Breadline is a compound noun. It does not have common verb or adjective forms.
- Soup kitchen (n): A place where free food is served to the needy, often the destination for those in a breadline.
Synonyms
- Food line: A more modern and direct synonym.
- Relief queue: Emphasizes the queue is for aid or relief.
Related Idioms
- "To live on/close to the breadline": To live in poverty or with very little money, struggling to afford basic necessities.
- Even with two jobs, they are still living close to the breadline.
Noun
-
a queue of people waiting for free food
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