Breadbasket

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈbɹɛdbɑːskɪt/

Definitions

1. An area known for producing a substantial quantity of grain or staple crops ; the digestive area of the body, especially the stomach or abdomen
2. A geographical region famous for its abundant farming output ; the part of the abdomen associated with food digestion and nourishment
3. A territory recognized for its high agricultural yield of essential foods ; the bodily region that plays a key role in processing ingested food

Etymology: The image at the heart of "breadbasket" is almost literal: a basket of loaves, carried to the table or the market. The compound joins "bread" and "basket," and the earlier, concrete sense survives in the wicker container itself. The jump to the grain-growing region came by way of the bread supply such places produced. A territory that yielded huge quantities of wheat became, in effect, the source of the basket's contents, and the metaphor stuck. The stomach sense is a later extension, playing on the same picture of a container holding food. Calling the belly a breadbasket is a folksy, jocular way of talking about the midsection, and it has long been used with a note of affectionate humor rather than as clinical language.

Synonyms: basket, container, receptacle