Breakdown - Definition

n 1: the act of disrupting an established order so it fails to
continue; "the social dislocations resulting from
government policies"; "his warning came after the breakdown
of talks in London" [syn: dislocation, breakdown]
2: a mental or physical breakdown [syn: breakdown, crack-up]
3: a cessation of normal operation; "there was a power
breakdown" [syn: breakdown, equipment failure]
4: an analysis into mutually exclusive categories [syn:
breakdown, partitioning]