Definition of "breast"

The Wedding-Guest here beat his breast, / For he heard the loud bassoon.

1798, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

By the time he reached the War Memorial damp had soaked through the breasts of his shirt.

1956, Anthony Burgess, Time for a Tiger (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972, page 45

He has a loyal breast.

1613 (date written), William Shakespeare, [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act III, scene ii]

[…] Thou best know'stWhat torment I did find thee in. Thy groansDid make wolves howl, and penetrate the breastsOf ever-angry bears— it was a tormentTo lay upon the damn'd, which SycoraxCould not again undo. It was mine art,When I arrived and heard thee, that made gapeThe pine and let thee out.

1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act I, scene ii]

Muſick has Charms to ſooth a ſavage Breaſt, / To ſoften Rocks, or bend a knotted Oak.

1697, [William] Congreve, The Mourning Bride, a Tragedy. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], Act I, page 1

Mountains on whose barren breast / The labouring clouds do often rest.

a. 1645, John Milton, “L’Allegro”, in Poems of Mr. John Milton, […], London: […] Ruth Raworth for Humphrey Mosely, […], published 1646

If you burn wood on its own, the flue gases are cooler than from a coal fire. This can result in tars condensing out within the parging and brickwork of the flue, sometimes causing brown or yellow staining on upstairs chimney breasts.

2015 April 7, Jeff Howell, “The secret of longer lasting tiles ”, in The Daily Telegraph (Property)‎, archived from the original on 22 April 2015

By my troth, the fool has an excellent breast.

c. 1601–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You Will”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act II, scene iii]

[…] when the court, very much to the credit of their candour and firmness, breasted the popular current by sustaining the demurrer.

1817, William Wirt, Sketches of the Life and Character of Patrick Henry‎, page 22

With the sea below us grey and storm swept, and the coast line vague in the driving rain, we forged our way up the bank to breast the summit at 37 m.p.h.

1947 January and February, O. S. Nock, “"The Aberdonian" in Wartime”, in Railway Magazine, page 8

But this was excelled by the remarkable feat of Iron Duke, on the second run, in accelerating from a dead start at Miller's Dale up 1 in 90 to no less than 53 m.p.h. before breasting the summit at Peak Forest.

1960 March, Cecil J. Allen, “Locomotive Running Past and Present”, in Trains Illustrated, page 178

Breast the birds; wash and dry well. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the birds in a roasting pan.

2005, Texas Judicial Cookbook: Hello There!