breadline /ˈbɹɛdlaɪn/noun 2forms 1phrases 1 noun2 •(US) A line of people waiting to receive food from a charity.I do not think anyone of us can walk by a breadline and see even the most unkempt and raggedy man in the line without saying to himself, "There but for the grace of God." — 1975 •(UK, figurative) The lowest income level at which one's most basic necessities of survival are met; poverty line or subsistence level.Every day brings new worries about falling below the breadline. formsbreadlines Phrases with breadline on the breadlineIn a situation of extreme poverty; relying on food donations or having only enough to survive.
