The word breakfast is made from two little words:

and

Let's look at these two words.

Break means many different things. You can break a leg,

take a break,

or break in your new shoes.

One definition of break is to stop.

Fast has two definitions that are very different! We know the adjective fast means quick and speedy.

There is a verb to fast that means you do not eat for a while. This is called a fast from food. You do not eat for many hours when you sleep. You fast during the night unless you sleepwalk to the refrigerator!

So, the word

literally means

STOP NOT EATING!

or

GO EAT!