Brekky

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈbɹɛki/

Definitions

1. A colloquial expression that signifies the morning meal commonly consumed upon waking
2. A playful term describing the first meal taken in the morning, often associated with various delightful foods
3. An informal and casual name used to refer to the first meal of the day eaten in the morning

Etymology: Brekky is breakfast cut down to its first syllable, then given the familiar "-y" ending that British and Australian speakers love for shortened words, such as "hanky" from handkerchief or "telly" from television. The clipping turns a mouthful of a meal name into something cosy and informal, which suits the cheerful tone the word now carries. The core of the word is still breakfast, a compound of "break" and "fast". The "fast" is the old sense of a period of abstinence, the same root that gives us fasting, and breakfast was literally the act of ending that overnight fast. Brekky keeps that idea of the first meal of the day while shedding the formality of its parent.

Synonyms: breakfast, morning meal, brunch, meal, repast