Breech
/briːtʃ/noun
The part of a firearm at the rear of the barrel, or the buttocks/seat region in older and dialectal usage.
Did you know?In English, *breech* and *breeches* come from the same ancient root for the body’s “hind part,” which is why the word moved from clothing to anatomy to the rear of a gun.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bhreg-
“to break, burst”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*brōkiz / *brōkō
“garment for the legs; trousers”
Old English
OE
brēc
“breeches, trousers”
Middle English
ME
breche
“clothing for the lower body; later the hind part or seat”
Early Modern English
English
breech
“the buttocks or rear part; the rear end of a firearm”