break and enter

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English

Noun

break and enter (plural break and enters)

  1. An instance of breaking and entering.
    • 1999, Julian V. Roberts, David P. Cole, Making Sense of Sentencing, →ISBN, page 139:
      For example, an offender convicted of two crimes, such as break and enter and possession of burglary instruments, is sentenced to a one-year term of imprisonment. It is not clear, however, what portion of the sentence was imposed for the break and enter and what portion for the possession of burglary instruments. This makes it impossible to determine the average sentence for a specific offence such as break and enter.
    • 2006, Katherine Covell, R. Brian Howe, The Challenge of Children’s Rights for Canada, →ISBN, page 98:
      In the anti-social peer group, if one member suggests a break and enter, or car theft, as a way to pass an evening, the others are likely to agree without thinking of alternatives or possible consequences.
    • 2017, Jeffery T. Walker, Social, Ecological and Environmental Theories of Crime, →ISBN:
      The resulting data-set includes 11,991 violent crimes, 23,262 break and enters, and 36,720 automotive thefts.

Verb

break and enter (third-person singular simple present breaks and enters, present participle breaking and entering, simple past broke and entered, past participle broken and entered)

  1. To gain unauthorized entry into another's property by force or illicit means; to break in and enter without permission.
    • 1836, The American Jurist and Law Magazine - Volume 14, page 29:
      The thief may steal from the person — or he may break and enter any office, shop, or warehouse not occupied with a dwelling house — or any shop or vessel — or in the night time he may enter, or in the day time he may break and enter, any dwelling house, or the out houses occupied with it, or any office, shop, warehouse, ship or vessel — or, in the day time, he may steal in any dwelling house, office, shop, warehouse, ship or vessel, without breaking.
    • 2007, John Dempsey, Introduction to Private Security, →ISBN, page 323:
      They may pursue him into another State; may arrest him on the Sabbath; and, if necessary, may break and enter his house for that purpose.
    • 2011, Rick Sirmon, In Search of George Washington: The Story of the 28Th Amendment, →ISBN:
      Is that honored tradition of “the public's right to know” really that sacred, as Mr. Rather maintained to that esteemed group, that a journalist should break and enter if need be and trespass upon law and private property because the public had “a right to know”?
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