breaststroke

noun

breast·​stroke ˈbres(t)-ˌstrōk 

: a swimming stroke executed in a prone position by coordinating a kick in which the legs are brought forward with the knees together and the feet are turned outward and whipped back with a glide and a backward sweeping movement of the arms

breaststroker

ˈbres(t)-ˌstrō-kər 

noun

Examples of breaststroke in a Sentence

I'll be competing in the 50-meter breaststroke.

Recent Examples on the Web

Walsh’s swim erased the American record of 56.99 that 200 breaststroke Olympic champion Kate Douglass swam hours earlier to win the event at the Shanghai stop of the World Cup series, which is also being held in short course meters. —Sophie Kaufman, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024

Butterfly swimmers were the smallest, with back and breaststroke swimmers in the middle. —Liam Tharme, The Athletic, 4 Aug. 2024

However, the athlete may also redeem herself in the 100-meter breaststroke, her Olympic gold winning event. —Paras J. Haji, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024

But Douglass had oriented her entire program around the 200-meter breaststroke. —Nicole Auerbach, The Athletic, 1 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1864, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

breaststroke

noun

breast·​stroke ˈbres(t)-ˌstrōk 

: a swimming stroke performed by extending the arms in front of the head while drawing the knees forward and outward and then sweeping the arms back with palms out while kicking backward and outward