Brook"ite (&?;), n. [Named from the English mineralogist, H. J. Brooke.] (Min.) A mineral consisting of titanic oxide, and hence identical with rutile and octahedrite in composition, but crystallizing in the orthorhombic system.
Brook"let (&?;), n. A small brook.
Brook"lime` (&?;), n. (Bot.) A plant (Veronica Beccabunga), with flowers, usually blue, in axillary racemes. The American species is V. Americana. [Formerly written broklempe or broklympe.]
Brook" mint` (&?;). (Bot.) See Water mint.
Brook"side` (&?;), n. The bank of a brook.
Brook"weed` (&?;), n. (Bot.) A small white-flowered herb (Samolus Valerandi) found usually in wet places; water pimpernel.
Broom (&?;), n. [OE. brom, brome, AS. brm; akin to LG. bram, D. brem, OHG. brmo broom, thorn&?;bush, G. brombeere blackberry. Cf. Bramble, n.] 1. (Bot.) 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.
No gypsy cowered o'er fires of furze and broom.
Wordsworth.
2. 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made of the panicles or tops of broom corn, bound together or attached to a long wooden handle; -- so called because originally made of the twigs of the broom.
Butcher's broom, a plant (Ruscus aculeatus) of the Smilax family, used by butchers for brooms to sweep their blocks; -- called also knee holly. See Cladophyll. -- Dyer's broom, a species of mignonette (Reseda luteola), used for dyeing yellow; dyer's weed; dyer's rocket. -- Spanish broom. See under Spanish.
Broom, v. t. (Naut.) See Bream.
Broom" corn` (&?;). (Bot.) A variety of Sorghum vulgare, having a joined stem, like maize, rising to the height of eight or ten feet, and bearing its seeds on a panicle with long branches, of which brooms are made.
Broom" rape` (&?;). (Bot.) A genus (Orobanche) of parasitic plants of Europe and Asia. They are destitute of chlorophyll, have scales instead of leaves, and spiked flowers, and grow attached to the roots of other plants, as furze, clover, flax, wild carrot, etc. The name is sometimes applied to other plants related to this genus, as Aphyllon uniflorumand A. Ludovicianum.
Broom"staff` (&?;), n. A broomstick. [Obs.] Shak.
Broom"stick` (&?;), n. A stick used as a handle of a broom.
Broom"y (&?;), a. Of or pertaining to broom; overgrowing with broom; resembling broom or a broom.
If land grow mossy or broomy.
Mortimer.
Brose (&?;), n. [CF. Gael. brothas. Cf. Brewis, Broth.] 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. [Scot.]
Brot"el (&?;), a. Brittle. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Brot"el*ness, n. Brittleness. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Broth (&?;), n. [AS. bro&?;; akin to OHG. brod, brot; cf. Ir. broth, Gael. brot. √93. Cf. Brewis, Brew.] Liquid in which flesh (and sometimes other substances, as barley or rice) has been boiled; thin or simple soup.
I am sure by your unprejudiced discourses that you love broth better than soup.
Addison.
Broth"el (&?;), n. [OE. brothel, brodel, brethel, a prostitute, a worthless fellow, fr. AS. beró&?;an to ruin, destroy; cf. AS. breótan to break, and E. brittle. The term brothel house was confused with bordel brothel. CF. Bordel.] A house of lewdness or ill fame; a house frequented by prostitutes; a bawdyhouse.
Broth"el*er (&?;), n. One who frequents brothels.
Broth"el*ry (&?;), n. Lewdness; obscenity; a brothel. B. Jonson.
Broth"er (br"r), n.; pl. Brothers (br"rz) or Brethren (br"rn). See Brethren. [OE. brother, AS. brðor; akin to OS. brothar, D. broeder, OHG. pruodar, G. bruder, Icel. brðir, Sw. & Dan. broder, Goth. brþar, Ir. brathair, W. brawd, pl. brodyr, Lith. brolis, Lett. brahlis, Russ. brat', Pol. & Serv. brat, OSlav. bratr, L. frater, Skr. bhrt, Zend bratar brother, Gr. fra`thr, fra`twr, a clansman. The common plural is Brothers; in the solemn style, Brethren, OE. pl. brether, bretheren, AS. dat. sing. brðer, nom. pl. brðor, brðru. √258. Cf. Friar, Fraternal.] 1. A male person who has the same father and mother with another person, or who has one of them only. In the latter case he is more definitely called a half brother, or brother of the half blood.
Two of us in the churchyard lie,
My sister and my brother.
Wordsworth.
2. One related or closely united to another by some common tie or interest, as of rank, profession, membership in a society, toil, suffering, etc.; -- used among judges, clergymen, monks, physicians, lawyers, professors of religion, etc. "A brother of your order." Shak.
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers,
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother.
Shak.
3. One who, or that which, resembles another in distinctive qualities or traits of character.
He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.
Prov. xviii. 9.
That April morn
Of this the very brother.
Wordsworth.
In Scripture, the term brother is applied to a kinsman by blood more remote than a son of the same parents, as in the case of Abraham and Lot, Jacob and Laban. In a more general sense, brother or brethren is used for fellow-man or fellow-men.
For of whom such massacre
Make they but of their brethren, men of men?
Milton.
Brother Jonathan, a humorous designation for the people of the United States collectively. The phrase is said to have originated from Washington's referring to the patriotic Jonathan Trumbull, governor of Connecticut, as "Brother Jonathan." -- Blood brother. See under Blood.
Broth"er (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Brothered (&?;).] To make a brother of; to call or treat as a brother; to admit to a brotherhood. Sir W. Scott.
Broth"er ger"man (&?;). (Law) A brother by both the father's and mother's side, in contradistinction to a uterine brother, one by the mother only. Bouvier.
Broth"er*hood (&?;), n. [Brother + -hood.] 1. The state of being brothers or a brother.