Standard Lemma guide

breaststroke

noun · verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American: /ˈbɹɛstˌstɹoʊk/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A swimming stroke in which the swimmer lies face down, the arms being swept forward, outward and back under the water and the legs are kicked like a frog's

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To swim using this stroke.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a swimming stroke; the arms are extended together in front of the head and swept back on either side accompanied by a frog kick

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: swimming stroke

4

verb

Meaning 4

swim with the face down and extend the arms forward and outward while kicking with the leg

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: swim

History

Etymology

From breast + stroke.

Across languages

Translations

58 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: borsslag — swimming stroke
  • Albanian: bretkosë — swimming stroke
  • Bulgarian: бруст (brust) — swimming stroke
  • Catalan: braça — swimming stroke
  • Chinese Cantonese: 蛙式 (waa1 sik1) — swimming stroke
  • Chinese: 四跤仔泅 (zh-min-nan) — swimming stroke
  • Chinese: 水雞泅 /水鸡泅 (zh-min-nan) — swimming stroke
  • Chinese: 水雞仔泅 /水鸡仔泅 (chúi-ke-á-siû, chúi-koe-á-siû) — swimming stroke
  • Chinese: 蛤仔泅 (kap-á-siû) — swimming stroke
  • Chinese: 田蛤仔泅 (chhân-kap-á-siû) — swimming stroke
  • Chinese Mandarin: 蛙式 (wāshì) — swimming stroke
  • Chinese Mandarin: 俯泳 (fǔyǒng) — swimming stroke
  • Chinese Mandarin: 胸泳 (xiōngyǒng) — swimming stroke
  • Czech: prsa — swimming stroke
  • Danish: brystsvømning — swimming stroke
  • Dutch: schoolslag — swimming stroke
  • Esperanto: brustonaĝado — swimming stroke
  • Finnish: rintauinti — swimming stroke
  • French: brasse — swimming stroke
  • German: Brust — swimming stroke
  • German: Brustschwimmen — swimming stroke
  • Hindi: ब्रेस्टस्ट्रोक (bresṭasṭrok) — swimming stroke
  • Hungarian: mellúszás — swimming stroke
  • Icelandic: bringusund — swimming stroke
  • Irish: snámh brollaigh — swimming stroke
  • Irish: bang brollaigh — swimming stroke
  • Italian: rana — swimming stroke
  • Italian: stile rana — swimming stroke
  • Japanese: 平泳ぎ (hiraoyogi) — swimming stroke
  • Korean: 평영 (pyeong'yeong) — swimming stroke
  • Latvian: brass — swimming stroke
  • Māori: kau āpuru — swimming stroke
  • Māori: kau hōkaikai — swimming stroke
  • Norwegian: brystsvømning — swimming stroke
  • Polish: żabka — swimming stroke
  • Polish: styl klasyczny — swimming stroke
  • Portuguese: nado de peito — swimming stroke
  • Portuguese: bruços — swimming stroke
  • Portuguese: estilo de bruços — swimming stroke
  • Romanian: bras — swimming stroke
  • Russian: брасс (brass) — swimming stroke
  • Spanish: braza — swimming stroke
  • Spanish: estilo braza — swimming stroke
  • Swedish: bröstsim — swimming stroke
  • Turkish: kurbağalama — swimming stroke
  • Welsh: nofio broga — swimming stroke
  • Yiddish: זשאַבעשוווּם (zhabeshvum) — swimming stroke
  • Yiddish: קלאַפֿטער (klafter) — swimming stroke
  • Yiddish: קלאַפֿטערשוווּם (klaftershvum) — swimming stroke
  • Finnish: uida rintaa — to swim using this stroke
  • German: Brust schwimmen — to swim using this stroke
  • Hindi: ब्रेस्टस्ट्रोक (bresṭasṭrok) — to swim using this stroke
  • Icelandic: synda bringusund — to swim using this stroke
  • Portuguese: nadar de peito — to swim using this stroke
  • Russian: плыть бра́ссом (plytʹ brássom) — to swim using this stroke
  • Swedish: simma bröstsim — to swim using this stroke
  • Turkish: kurbağalama yüzmek — to swim using this stroke
  • Yiddish: שווימען ווי אַ זשאַבע (shvimen vi a zhabe) — to swim using this stroke
Real reading context

breaststroke in complete knowledge articles