Bread
noun /brɛd/ — Money — especially as the thing you work to earn
Definition
Money — particularly in the sense of one's livelihood or earnings. 'Getting bread' means earning money; 'chasing bread' means pursuing income. Bread is the staple — the fundamental thing you need.
Beyond the definition
Bread as money acknowledges something honest — money is survival before it is luxury. The metaphor strips wealth to its essential function: keeping you alive, keeping you fed.
Origin & history
Cockney rhyming slang: 'bread and honey' = money. Adopted into broader slang culture, particularly in African American and British vernacular, as shorthand for money.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
She's out here chasing bread. Respect the grind.
I don't do it for the bread. But the bread does make it easier.
Getting bread is honourable. Losing sight of why you need it is the problem.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Bread” when the meaning fits your context: Money — particularly in the sense of one's livelihood or earnings. 'Getting bread' means earning money; 'chasing bread' means pursuing income. Bread is the staple — the fundamental thing you need.
Synonyms
money, guap, paper, cash, funds
Antonyms
broke, debt
Related words
Bread vs income
Income is an accounting term. 'Bread' emphasizes money as the essential fuel required for daily survival and the result of hard, daily labor.
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Chef Prepping at Stainless Station
A chef is at a stainless steel station, carefully julienning vegetables, maintaining an organized 'mise-en-place' for the day's work.
The prep station is the chef's bread. The ingredients being julienned are their livelihood, the staple of their craft. Chasing the bread in this kitchen means doing the work required to earn their income, focusing on the fundamental tasks that keep the professional engine running.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Bread" mean?
Bread is noun meaning: Money — especially as the thing you work to earn. Money — particularly in the sense of one's livelihood or earnings. 'Getting bread' means earning money; 'chasing bread' means pursuing income. Bread is the staple — the fundamental thing you need.
Where does the word "Bread" come from?
Cockney rhyming slang: 'bread and honey' = money. Adopted into broader slang culture, particularly in African American and British vernacular, as shorthand for money.