| Words | Parts of Speech | Meaning/Definition/Similar Words |
|---|---|---|
| brace | noun | That which holds anything tightly or supports it firmly; a bandage or a prop., A cord, ligament, or rod, for producing or maintaining tension, as a cord on the side of a drum., The state of being braced or tight; tension., A piece of material used to transmit, or change the direction of, weight or pressure; any one of the pieces, in a frame or truss, which divide the structure into triangular parts. It may act as a tie, or as a strut, and serves to prevent distortion of the structure, and transverse strains in its members. A boiler brace is a diagonal stay, connecting the head with the shell., A vertical curved line connecting two or more words or lines, which are to be taken together; thus, boll, bowl; or, in music, used to connect staves., A rope reeved through a block at the end of a yard, by which the yard is moved horizontally; also, a rudder gudgeon., A curved instrument or handle of iron or wood, for holding and turning bits, etc.; a bitstock., A pair; a couple; as, a brace of ducks; now rarely applied to persons, except familiarly or with some contempt., Straps or bands to sustain trousers; suspenders., Harness; warlike preparation., Armor for the arm; vantbrace., The mouth of a shaft., To furnish with braces; to support; to prop; as, to brace a beam in a building., To draw tight; to tighten; to put in a state of tension; to strain; to strengthen; as, to brace the nerves., To bind or tie closely; to fasten tightly., To place in a position for resisting pressure; to hold firmly; as, he braced himself against the crowd., To move around by means of braces; as, to brace the yards., To get tone or vigor; to rouse one’s energies; — with up. |
| brach | noun | A bitch of the hound kind. |
| brack | noun | An opening caused by the parting of any solid body; a crack or breach; a flaw., Salt or brackish water. |
| bract | noun | A leaf, usually smaller than the true leaves of a plant, from the axil of which a flower stalk arises., Any modified leaf, or scale, on a flower stalk or at the base of a flower. |
| braid | verb t. | To weave, interlace, or entwine together, as three or more strands or threads; to form into a braid; to plait., To mingle, or to bring to a uniformly soft consistence, by beating, rubbing, or straining, as in some culinary operations., To reproach. [Obs.] See Upbraid., A plait, band, or narrow fabric formed by intertwining or weaving together different strands., A narrow fabric, as of wool, silk, or linen, used for binding, trimming, or ornamenting dresses, etc., A quick motion; a start., A fancy; freak; caprice., To start; to awake., Deceitful. |
| brail | noun | A thong of soft leather to bind up a hawk’s wing., Ropes passing through pulleys, and used to haul in or up the leeches, bottoms, or corners of sails, preparatory to furling., A stock at each end of a seine to keep it stretched., To haul up by the brails; — used with up; as, to brail up a sail. |
| brain | noun | The whitish mass of soft matter (the center of the nervous system, and the seat of consciousness and volition) which is inclosed in the cartilaginous or bony cranium of vertebrate animals. It is simply the anterior termination of the spinal cord, and is developed from three embryonic vesicles, whose cavities are connected with the central canal of the cord; the cavities of the vesicles become the central cavities, or ventricles, and the walls thicken unequally and become the three segments, the fore-, mid-, and hind-brain., The anterior or cephalic ganglion in insects and other invertebrates., The organ or seat of intellect; hence, the understanding., The affections; fancy; imagination., To dash out the brains of; to kill by beating out the brains. Hence, Fig.: To destroy; to put an end to; to defeat., To conceive; to understand. |
| brait | noun | A rough diamond. |
| brake | imp. of Break., A fern of the genus Pteris, esp. the P. aquilina, common in almost all countries. It has solitary stems dividing into three principal branches. Less properly: Any fern., A thicket; a place overgrown with shrubs and brambles, with undergrowth and ferns, or with canes., An instrument or machine to break or bruise the woody part of flax or hemp so that it may be separated from the fiber., An extended handle by means of which a number of men can unite in working a pump, as in a fire engine., A baker’s kneading though., A sharp bit or snaffle., A frame for confining a refractory horse while the smith is shoeing him; also, an inclosure to restrain cattle, horses, etc., That part of a carriage, as of a movable battery, or engine, which enables it to turn., An ancient engine of war analogous to the crossbow and ballista., A large, heavy harrow for breaking clods after plowing; a drag., A piece of mechanism for retarding or stopping motion by friction, as of a carriage or railway car, by the pressure of rubbers against the wheels, or of clogs or ratchets against the track or roadway, or of a pivoted lever against a wheel or drum in a machine., An apparatus for testing the power of a steam engine, or other motor, by weighing the amount of friction that the motor will overcome; a friction brake., A cart or carriage without a body, used in breaking in horses., An ancient instrument of torture., of Break | |
| braky | adjective | Full of brakes; abounding with brambles, shrubs, or ferns; rough; thorny. |
| brama | noun | See Brahma. |
| brame | noun | Sharp passion; vexation. |
| brand | verb t. | A burning piece of wood; or a stick or piece of wood partly burnt, whether burning or after the fire is extinct., A sword, so called from its glittering or flashing brightness., A mark made by burning with a hot iron, as upon a cask, to designate the quality, manufacturer, etc., of the contents, or upon an animal, to designate ownership; — also, a mark for a similar purpose made in any other way, as with a stencil. Hence, figurately: Quality; kind; grade; as, a good brand of flour., A mark put upon criminals with a hot iron. Hence: Any mark of infamy or vice; a stigma., An instrument to brand with; a branding iron., Any minute fungus which produces a burnt appearance in plants. The brands are of many species and several genera of the order Pucciniaei., To burn a distinctive mark into or upon with a hot iron, to indicate quality, ownership, etc., or to mark as infamous (as a convict)., To put an actual distinctive mark upon in any other way, as with a stencil, to show quality of contents, name of manufacture, etc., Fig.: To fix a mark of infamy, or a stigma, upon., To mark or impress indelibly, as with a hot iron. |
| brank | noun | Buckwheat., Alt. of Branks, To hold up and toss the head; — applied to horses as spurning the bit., To prance; to caper. |
| brant | noun | A species of wild goose (Branta bernicla) — called also brent and brand goose. The name is also applied to other related species., Steep., Steep; high., Smooth; unwrinkled. |
| brash | adjective | Hasty in temper; impetuous., Brittle, as wood or vegetables., A rash or eruption; a sudden or transient fit of sickness., Refuse boughs of trees; also, the clippings of hedges., Broken and angular fragments of rocks underlying alluvial deposits., Broken fragments of ice. |
| brass | noun | An alloy (usually yellow) of copper and zinc, in variable proportion, but often containing two parts of copper to one part of zinc. It sometimes contains tin, and rarely other metals., A journal bearing, so called because frequently made of brass. A brass is often lined with a softer metal, when the latter is generally called a white metal lining. See Axle box, Journal Box, and Bearing., Coin made of copper, brass, or bronze., Impudence; a brazen face., Utensils, ornaments, or other articles of brass., A brass plate engraved with a figure or device. Specifically, one used as a memorial to the dead, and generally having the portrait, coat of arms, etc., Lumps of pyrites or sulphuret of iron, the color of which is near to that of brass. |
| brast | verb t. & i. | To burst., of Breste |
| brave | superl. | Bold; courageous; daring; intrepid; — opposed to cowardly; as, a brave man; a brave act., Having any sort of superiority or excellence; — especially such as in conspicuous., Making a fine show or display., A brave person; one who is daring., Specifically, an Indian warrior., A man daring beyond discretion; a bully., A challenge; a defiance; bravado., To encounter with courage and fortitude; to set at defiance; to defy; to dare., To adorn; to make fine or showy. |
| bravo | adjective | A daring villain; a bandit; one who sets law at defiance; a professional assassin or murderer., Well done! excellent! an exclamation expressive of applause. |
| brawl | verb i. | To quarrel noisily and outrageously., To complain loudly; to scold., To make a loud confused noise, as the water of a rapid stream running over stones., A noisy quarrel; loud, angry contention; a wrangle; a tumult; as, a drunken brawl. |
| brawn | noun | A muscle; flesh., Full, strong muscles, esp. of the arm or leg, muscular strength; a protuberant muscular part of the body; sometimes, the arm., The flesh of a boar; also, the salted and prepared flesh of a boar., A boar. |
| braxy | noun | A disease of sheep. The term is variously applied in different localities., A diseased sheep, or its mutton. |
| braze | verb i. | To solder with hard solder, esp. with an alloy of copper and zinc; as, to braze the seams of a copper pipe., To harden., To cover or ornament with brass. |
| bread | adjective | To spread., An article of food made from flour or meal by moistening, kneading, and baking., Food; sustenance; support of life, in general., To cover with bread crumbs, preparatory to cooking; as, breaded cutlets. |
| broke | imp. | of Break, of Break, To transact business for another., To act as procurer in love matters; to pimp., imp. & p. p. of Break. |
| break | verb t. | To strain apart; to sever by fracture; to divide with violence; as, to break a rope or chain; to break a seal; to break an axle; to break rocks or coal; to break a lock., To lay open as by breaking; to divide; as, to break a package of goods., To lay open, as a purpose; to disclose, divulge, or communicate., To infringe or violate, as an obligation, law, or promise., To interrupt; to destroy the continuity of; to dissolve or terminate; as, to break silence; to break one’s sleep; to break one’s journey., To destroy the completeness of; to remove a part from; as, to break a set., To destroy the arrangement of; to throw into disorder; to pierce; as, the cavalry were not able to break the British squares., To shatter to pieces; to reduce to fragments., To exchange for other money or currency of smaller denomination; as, to break a five dollar bill., To destroy the strength, firmness, or consistency of; as, to break flax., To weaken or impair, as health, spirit, or mind., To diminish the force of; to lessen the shock of, as a fall or blow., To impart, as news or information; to broach; — with to, and often with a modified word implying some reserve; as, to break the news gently to the widow; to break a purpose cautiously to a friend., To tame; to reduce to subjection; to make tractable; to discipline; as, to break a horse to the harness or saddle., To destroy the financial credit of; to make bankrupt; to ruin., To destroy the official character and standing of; to cashier; to dismiss., To come apart or divide into two or more pieces, usually with suddenness and violence; to part; to burst asunder., To open spontaneously, or by pressure from within, as a bubble, a tumor, a seed vessel, a bag., To burst forth; to make its way; to come to view; to appear; to dawn., To burst forth violently, as a storm., To open up; to be scattered; to be dissipated; as, the clouds are breaking., To become weakened in constitution or faculties; to lose health or strength., To be crushed, or overwhelmed with sorrow or grief; as, my heart is breaking., To fall in business; to become bankrupt., To make an abrupt or sudden change; to change the gait; as, to break into a run or gallop., To fail in musical quality; as, a singer’s voice breaks when it is strained beyond its compass and a tone or note is not completed, but degenerates into an unmusical sound instead. Also, to change in tone, as a boy’s voice at puberty., To fall out; to terminate friendship., An opening made by fracture or disruption., An interruption of continuity; change of direction; as, a break in a wall; a break in the deck of a ship., A projection or recess from the face of a building., An opening or displacement in the circuit, interrupting the electrical current., An interruption; a pause; as, a break in friendship; a break in the conversation., An interruption in continuity in writing or printing, as where there is an omission, an unfilled line, etc., The first appearing, as of light in the morning; the dawn; as, the break of day; the break of dawn., A large four-wheeled carriage, having a straight body and calash top, with the driver’s seat in front and the footman’s behind., A device for checking motion, or for measuring friction. See Brake, n. 9 & 10., See Commutator. |
| bream | noun | A European fresh-water cyprinoid fish of the genus Abramis, little valued as food. Several species are known., An American fresh-water fish, of various species of Pomotis and allied genera, which are also called sunfishes and pondfishes. See Pondfish., A marine sparoid fish of the genus Pagellus, and allied genera. See Sea Bream., To clean, as a ship’s bottom of adherent shells, seaweed, etc., by the application of fire and scraping. |
| brede | noun | Alt. of Breede, A braid. |
| breed | verb t. | To produce as offspring; to bring forth; to bear; to procreate; to generate; to beget; to hatch., To take care of in infancy, and through the age of youth; to bring up; to nurse and foster., To educate; to instruct; to form by education; to train; — sometimes followed by up., To engender; to cause; to occasion; to originate; to produce; as, to breed a storm; to breed disease., To give birth to; to be the native place of; as, a pond breeds fish; a northern country breeds stout men., To raise, as any kind of stock., To produce or obtain by any natural process., To bear and nourish young; to reproduce or multiply itself; to be pregnant., To be formed in the parent or dam; to be generated, or to grow, as young before birth., To have birth; to be produced or multiplied., To raise a breed; to get progeny., A race or variety of men or other animals (or of plants), perpetuating its special or distinctive characteristics by inheritance., Class; sort; kind; — of men, things, or qualities., A number produced at once; a brood. |
| breme | adjective | Fierce; sharp; severe; cruel., Famous; renowned; well known. |
| brent | imp. & past participle | of Brenne, Alt. of Brant, Burnt., A brant. See Brant. |
| brere | noun | A brier. |
| brest | 3d sing.pr. | for Bursteth., Alt. of Breast |
| brett | noun | Same as Britzska. |
| breve | noun | A note or character of time, equivalent to two semibreves or four minims. When dotted, it is equal to three semibreves. It was formerly of a square figure (as thus: / ), but is now made oval, with a line perpendicular to the staff on each of its sides; — formerly much used for choir service., Any writ or precept under seal, issued out of any court., A curved mark [/] used commonly to indicate the short quantity of a vowel., The great ant thrush of Sumatra (Pitta gigas), which has a very short tail. |
| briar | noun | Same as Brier., A plant with a slender woody stem bearing stout prickles; especially, species of Rosa, Rubus, and Smilax., Fig.: Anything sharp or unpleasant to the feelings. |
| bribe | noun | A gift begged; a present., A price, reward, gift, or favor bestowed or promised with a view to prevent the judgment or corrupt the conduct of a judge, witness, voter, or other person in a position of trust., That which seduces; seduction; allurement., To rob or steal., To give or promise a reward or consideration to (a judge, juror, legislator, voter, or other person in a position of trust) with a view to prevent the judgment or corrupt the conduct; to induce or influence by a bribe; to give a bribe to., To gain by a bribe; of induce as by a bribe., To commit robbery or theft., To give a bribe to a person; to pervert the judgment or corrupt the action of a person in a position of trust, by some gift or promise. |
| brick | noun | A block or clay tempered with water, sand, etc., molded into a regular form, usually rectangular, and sun-dried, or burnt in a kiln, or in a heap or stack called a clamp., Bricks, collectively, as designating that kind of material; as, a load of brick; a thousand of brick., Any oblong rectangular mass; as, a brick of maple sugar; a penny brick (of bread)., A good fellow; a merry person; as, you ‘re a brick., To lay or pave with bricks; to surround, line, or construct with bricks., To imitate or counterfeit a brick wall on, as by smearing plaster with red ocher, making the joints with an edge tool, and pointing them. |
| bride | noun | A woman newly married, or about to be married., Fig.: An object ardently loved., To make a bride of. |
| brief | adjective | Short in duration., Concise; terse; succinct., Rife; common; prevalent., Briefly., Soon; quickly., A short concise writing or letter; a statement in few words., An epitome., An abridgment or concise statement of a client’s case, made out for the instruction of counsel in a trial at law. This word is applied also to a statement of the heads or points of a law argument., A writ; a breve. See Breve, n., 2., A writ issuing from the chancery, directed to any judge ordinary, commanding and authorizing that judge to call a jury to inquire into the case, and upon their verdict to pronounce sentence., A letter patent, from proper authority, authorizing a collection or charitable contribution of money in churches, for any public or private purpose., To make an abstract or abridgment of; to shorten; as, to brief pleadings. |
| brier | noun | Alt. of Briar |
| brike | noun | A breach; ruin; downfall; peril. |
| brill | noun | A fish allied to the turbot (Rhombus levis), much esteemed in England for food; — called also bret, pearl, prill. See Bret. |
| brine | noun | Water saturated or strongly impregnated with salt; pickle; hence, any strong saline solution; also, the saline residue or strong mother liquor resulting from the evaporation of natural or artificial waters., The ocean; the water of an ocean, sea, or salt lake., Tears; — so called from their saltness., To steep or saturate in brine., To sprinkle with salt or brine; as, to brine hay. |
| bring | verb t. | To convey to the place where the speaker is or is to be; to bear from a more distant to a nearer place; to fetch., To cause the accession or obtaining of; to procure; to make to come; to produce; to draw to., To convey; to move; to carry or conduct., To persuade; to induce; to draw; to lead; to guide., To produce in exchange; to sell for; to fetch; as, what does coal bring per ton? |
| brink | noun | The edge, margin, or border of a steep place, as of a precipice; a bank or edge, as of a river or pit; a verge; a border; as, the brink of a chasm. Also Fig. |
| briny | adjective | Of or pertaining to brine, or to the sea; partaking of the nature of brine; salt; as, a briny taste; the briny flood. |
| brisk | adjective | Full of liveliness and activity; characterized by quickness of motion or action; lively; spirited; quick., Full of spirit of life; effervesc/ng, as liquors; sparkling; as, brick cider., To make or become lively; to enliven; to animate; to take, or cause to take, an erect or bold attitude; — usually with up. |
| britt | noun | The young of the common herring; also, a small species of herring; the sprat., The minute marine animals (chiefly Entomostraca) upon which the right whales feed. |
| brite | verb t. | Alt. of Bright |
| brize | noun | The breeze fly. See Breeze. |
| broad | superl. | Wide; extend in breadth, or from side to side; — opposed to narrow; as, a broad street, a broad table; an inch broad., Extending far and wide; extensive; vast; as, the broad expanse of ocean., Extended, in the sense of diffused; open; clear; full., Fig.: Having a large measure of any thing or quality; not limited; not restrained; — applied to any subject, and retaining the literal idea more or less clearly, the precise meaning depending largely on the substantive., Comprehensive; liberal; enlarged., Plain; evident; as, a broad hint., Free; unrestrained; unconfined., Characterized by breadth. See Breadth., Cross; coarse; indelicate; as, a broad compliment; a broad joke; broad humor., Strongly marked; as, a broad Scotch accent., The broad part of anything; as, the broad of an oar., The spread of a river into a sheet of water; a flooded fen., A lathe tool for turning down the insides and bottoms of cylinders. |
| brock | noun | A badger., A brocket. |
| broid | verb t. | To braid. |
| broil | noun | A tumult; a noisy quarrel; a disturbance; a brawl; contention; discord, either between individuals or in the state., To cook by direct exposure to heat over a fire, esp. upon a gridiron over coals., To subject to great (commonly direct) heat., To be subjected to the action of heat, as meat over the fire; to be greatly heated, or to be made uncomfortable with heat. |
| broma | noun | Aliment; food., A light form of prepared cocoa (or cacao), or the drink made from it. |
| brome | noun | See Bromine. |
| brond | noun | A sword. |
| brood | verb t. | The young birds hatched at one time; a hatch; as, a brood of chickens., The young from the same dam, whether produced at the same time or not; young children of the same mother, especially if nearly of the same age; offspring; progeny; as, a woman with a brood of children., That which is bred or produced; breed; species., Heavy waste in tin and copper ores., Sitting or inclined to sit on eggs., Kept for breeding from; as, a brood mare; brood stock; having young; as, a brood sow., To sit on and cover eggs, as a fowl, for the purpose of warming them and hatching the young; or to sit over and cover young, as a hen her chickens, in order to warm and protect them; hence, to sit quietly, as if brooding., To have the mind dwell continuously or moodily on a subject; to think long and anxiously; to be in a state of gloomy, serious thought; — usually followed by over or on; as, to brood over misfortunes., To sit over, cover, and cherish; as, a hen broods her chickens., To cherish with care., To think anxiously or moodily upon. |
| brook | verb t. | A natural stream of water smaller than a river or creek., To use; to enjoy., To bear; to endure; to put up with; to tolerate; as, young men can not brook restraint., To deserve; to earn. |
| broom | noun | A plant having twigs suitable for making brooms to sweep with when bound together; esp., the Cytisus scoparius of Western Europe, which is a low shrub with long, straight, green, angular branches, minute leaves, and large yellow flowers., An implement for sweeping floors, etc., commonly made of the panicles or tops of broom corn, bound together or attached to a long wooden handle; — so called because originally made of the twigs of the broom., See Bream. |
| brose | noun | Pottage made by pouring some boiling liquid on meal (esp. oatmeal), and stirring it. It is called beef brose, water brose, etc., according to the name of the liquid (beef broth, hot water, etc.) used. |
| broth | noun | Liquid in which flesh (and sometimes other substances, as barley or rice) has been boiled; thin or simple soup. |
| brown | superl. | Of a dark color, of various shades between black and red or yellow., A dark color inclining to red or yellow, resulting from the mixture of red and black, or of red, black, and yellow; a tawny, dusky hue., To make brown or dusky., To make brown by scorching slightly; as, to brown meat or flour., To give a bright brown color to, as to gun barrels, by forming a thin coat of oxide on their surface., To become brown. |
| bruin | adjective | A bear; — so called in popular tales and fables. |
| bruit | noun | Report; rumor; fame., An abnormal sound of several kinds, heard on auscultation., To report; to noise abroad. |
| brume | noun | Mist; fog; vapors. |
| brunt | verb t. | The heat, or utmost violence, of an onset; the strength or greatest fury of any contention; as, the brunt of a battle., The force of a blow; shock; collision. |
| brush | noun | An instrument composed of bristles, or other like material, set in a suitable back or handle, as of wood, bone, or ivory, and used for various purposes, as in removing dust from clothes, laying on colors, etc. Brushes have different shapes and names according to their use; as, clothes brush, paint brush, tooth brush, etc., The bushy tail of a fox., A tuft of hair on the mandibles., Branches of trees lopped off; brushwood., A thicket of shrubs or small trees; the shrubs and small trees in a wood; underbrush., A bundle of flexible wires or thin plates of metal, used to conduct an electrical current to or from the commutator of a dynamo, electric motor, or similar apparatus., The act of brushing; as, to give one’s clothes a brush; a rubbing or grazing with a quick motion; a light touch; as, we got a brush from the wheel as it passed., A skirmish; a slight encounter; a shock or collision; as, to have a brush with an enemy., A short contest, or trial, of speed., To apply a brush to, according to its particular use; to rub, smooth, clean, paint, etc., with a brush., To touch in passing, or to pass lightly over, as with a brush., To remove or gather by brushing, or by an act like that of brushing, or by passing lightly over, as wind; — commonly with off., To move nimbly in haste; to move so lightly as scarcely to be perceived; as, to brush by. |
| brusk | adjective | Same as Brusque. |
| bruta | noun | See Edentata. |
| brute | adjective | Not having sensation; senseless; inanimate; unconscious; without intelligence or volition; as, the brute earth; the brute powers of nature., Not possessing reason, irrational; unthinking; as, a brute beast; the brute creation., Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of, a brute beast. Hence: Brutal; cruel; fierce; ferocious; savage; pitiless; as, brute violence., Having the physical powers predominating over the mental; coarse; unpolished; unintelligent., Rough; uncivilized; unfeeling., An animal destitute of human reason; any animal not human; esp. a quadruped; a beast., A brutal person; a savage in heart or manners; as unfeeling or coarse person., To report; to bruit. |