A basket used for holding and serving bread, or a region that produces large amounts of grain and food crops.
Compound of bread + basket, first usage dating to early 1800s. 'Breadbasket' as a metaphorical term for an agricultural region emerged in the 19th century to describe fertile areas like the American Midwest.
The term 'breadbasket' perfectly captures how humans use food metaphors to understand geography—calling America's grain belt a 'basket' makes an entire economic region feel like a meal waiting to be served!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.