Where Did The Word Breakfast Come From?

The word "breakfast" literally means "to break fast".

A "fast", as you know, is a period of time where you don't eat. Most often, we relate that to extended periods of time -- Ghandi and all that business. But for us regular joes, the period of time when we don't eat is nighttime. We might be dreaming of eating, but by the most strict definition, we're "fasting" while we sleep.

And when do we break that fast? In the morning, of course. Breakfast!