adj.

1. physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
   
   • a broken mirror
   • a broken tooth
   • a broken leg
   • his neck is broken
2. not continuous in space, time, or sequence or varying abruptly
   
   • broken lines of defense
   • a broken cable transmission
   • broken sleep
   • tear off the stub above the broken line
   • a broken note
   • broken sobs
3. subdued or brought low in condition or status;
   crushed, humbled, humiliated, low
   
   • brought low
   • a broken man
   • his broken spirit
4. (especially of promises or contracts) having been violated or disregarded;
   unkept
   
   • broken (or unkept) promises
   • broken contracts
5. tamed or trained to obey;
   broken in
   
   • a horse broken to the saddle
   • this old nag is well broken in
6. topographically very uneven;
   rugged
   
   • broken terrain
   • rugged ground
7. imperfectly spoken or written
   
   • broken English
8. thrown into a state of disarray or confusion;
   confused, disordered, upset
   
   • troops fleeing in broken ranks
   • a confused mass of papers on the desk
   • the small disordered room
   • with everything so upset
9. weakened and infirm
   
   • broken health resulting from alcoholism
10. destroyed financially;
    wiped out(p), impoverished
    
    • the broken fortunes of the family
11. out of working order (`busted' is an informal substitute for `broken');
    busted
    
    • a broken washing machine
    • the coke machine is broken
    • the coke machine is busted
12. discontinuous
    
    • broken clouds
    • broken sunshine
13. lacking a part or parts
    
    • a broken set of encyclopedia