1820, "to break into a house criminally;" perhaps a back-formation from housebreaking or housebreaker. Sense of "to train a domestic animal to be clean in the house" is from 1881. Related: Housebroken.
Entries linking to housebreak
housebreaking n.
"breaking into a house with felonious intent," early 14c., from house (n.) + break (v.). Formerly used of crimes by day, burglary being for crimes by night. Modifying or replacing earlier husbreche, Old English hus-bryce. Housebreaker is from mid-15c.