In the direction of or manner relating to the breast; facing forward with the breast foremost.
Old English 'breast' combined with '-wise' (suffix from Old English -wisan meaning 'manner or direction'). The '-wise' suffix appeared in English as early as the 14th century to indicate position or orientation.
The '-wise' suffix is ancient—it's how English speakers created direction words before modern compass terminology, so 'breastwise' once meant 'straight ahead' the way we might say 'forward-facing' today!
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