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anatomy, zoology. (in bipeds) the outer, front part of the thorax, or the front part of the body from the neck to the abdomen; chest.
zoology. the corresponding part in quadrupeds.
either of the pair of mammae occurring on the chest in humans and having a discrete areola around the nipple, especially the mammae of the female after p-b-rty, which are enlarged and softened by hormonally influenced mammary-gland development and fat deposition and which secrete milk after the birth of a child: the br–sts of males normally remain rudimentary.
the part of a garment that covers the chest.
the bosom conceived of as the center of emotion:
what anger lay in his breast when he made that speech?
a projection from a wall, as part of a chimney.
any surface or part resembling or likened to the human breast.
mining. the face or heading at which the work is going on.
metallurgy.

the front of an open-hearth furnace.
the clay surrounding the taphole of a cupola.

nautical.

breast line.
a rounded bow.

to meet or oppose boldly; confront:
as a controversial public figure he has breasted much hostile criticism.
to contend with or advance against:
the ship breasted the turbulent seas.
to climb or climb over (a mountain, obstacle, etc.).
to overcome, succeed against.
to come alongside or abreast of.
breast in, nautical. to bind (an object, as a boatswain’s chair) securely under a projection, as the flare of a bow.
breast off, nautical.

to thrust (a vessel) sideways from a wharf.
to keep (a vessel) away from a wharf by means of timbers.

beat one’s breast, to display one’s grief, remorse, etc., in a loud and demonstrative manner.
make a clean breast of, to confess everything (of which one is guilty):
you’ll feel better if you make a clean breast of it.
contemporary examples

after breast cancer left her with a mastectomy, she went through a period of soul searching—then got back on stage.
the stripper who lost a breast melissa lion august 20, 2009

angelina jolie had her br–sts removed after discovering that her genetic makeup gave her an 87 percent chance of breast cancer.
british man has brca2 gene, removes prostate tom sykes may 19, 2013

it also features one of the last performances lynn redgrave gave before dying, at 67, of breast cancer in may.
christopher plummer on s-x, booze, and dogs lloyd grove august 29, 2010

eight months later, breast cancer in the news reminded me to check on my lump.
why komen let me down: a breast-cancer survivor’s haunting tale rebecca webber february 3, 2012

now, a study shows some breast cancer patients unnecessarily undergoing the procedure.
study shows “angelina effect” leads to unnecessary procedures for some breast cancer patients dr. anand veeravagu, md may 20, 2014

historical examples

in his violence philip tore at his breast, and dragged something from beneath his shirt.
the manxman hall caine

her cries and pleadings were being smothered down on his breast.
the spenders harry leon wilson

i had forgotten for an instant,’ said she, dropping her head upon her breast.
curious, if true elizabeth gaskell

methought anon you saw me go down with three pikes in my breast.
the armourer’s prentices charlotte m. yonge

if a rogue holds a pistol to my breast, do i ask him who he is?
imaginary conversations and poems walter savage landor

noun
the front part of the body from the neck to the abdomen; chest
either of the two soft fleshy milk-secreting glands on the chest in s-xually mature human females adjective mammary
a similar organ in certain other mammals
anything that resembles a breast in shape or position: the breast of the hill
a source of nourishment: the city took the victims to its breast
the source of human emotions
the part of a garment that covers the breast
a projection from the side of a wall, esp that formed by a chimney
(mining) the face being worked at the end of a tunnel
beat one’s breast, to display guilt and remorse publicly or ostentatiously
make a clean breast of, to make a confession of
verb (transitive)
to confront boldly; face: breast the storm
to oppose with the breast or meet at breast level: breasting the waves
to come alongside of: breast the ship
to reach the summit of: breasting the mountain top
n.

old english breost “breast, bosom; mind, thought, disposition,” from proto-germanic -breustam “breast” (cf. old saxon briost, old frisian briast, old norse brjost, dutch borst, german brust, gothic brusts), perhaps literally “swelling” and from pie root -bhreus- “to swell, sprout” (cf. middle irish bruasach “having a broad, strong chest,” old irish bruinne “breast”). the spelling conforms to the scottish and northern england dialectal pr-nunciation. figurative sense of “seat of the emotions” was in old english.

breast (brěst)
n.

either of two milk-secreting, glandular organs on the chest of a woman; mammary gland; mamma.

a corresponding rudimentary gland in the male.

the superior ventral surface of the human body, extending from the neck to the abdomen.

see:

keep abreast of
make a clean breast of