BRACKET, brak'et, _n._ a support for something fastened to a wall, the
ornamental metal pipe bearing gas-lamps, &c.: (_pl._) in printing, the
marks [ ] used to enclose one or more words: one of the side pieces of a
gun-carriage, supporting the trunnions.--_v.t._ to support by brackets: to
enclose by brackets: to group two names, as in an honour list, implying
equality. [Fr. _braguette_; Sp. _bragueta_--L. _braca_, _bracæ_, breeches.]
BRACKISH, brak'ish, _adj._ saltish: applied to water mixed with salt or
with sea-water.--_n._ BRACK'ISHNESS. [Dut. _brak_, brackish; prob. the same
as _brak_, refuse.]
BRACT, brakt, _n._ an irregularly developed leaf at the base of the
flower-stalk.--_adjs._ BRAC'TEAL, BRAC'TEATE, BRACT'ED, BRAC'TEOLATE.--_n._
BRAC'TEOLE, a little bract at the base of the stalk of a single flower
which is itself on a main stalk supporting several flowers.--_adj._
BRACT'LESS, destitute of bracts. [L. _bractea_, a thin plate of metal,
gold-leaf.]
BRAD, brad, _n._ a small nail having a slight projection at the top on one
side instead of a head.--_n._ BRAD'AWL, an awl to pierce holes. [Scot.
_brod_, an instrument for pricking with; Ice. _broddr_, a pointed piece of
iron.]
BRADYPEPTIC, brad-i-pep'tik, _adj._ slow of digestion. [Gr. _bradys_, slow,
and PEPTIC.]
BRAE, br[=a], _n._ (_Scot._) the slope above a river bank, a hill-slope.
[Scand. _brá_.]
BRAG, brag, _v.i._ to boast or bluster:--_pr.p._ brag'ging; _pa.p._
bragged.--_n._ a boast or boasting: the thing boasted of: a game at cards,
very like poker.--_adj._ BRAG'GING.--_advs._ BRAG'GINGLY, BRAG'LY
(_Spens._). [Most prob. Celt.; cf. W. _bragio_, to boast; Ir. _bragaim_.
The Fr. _braguer_, to brag, and _bragard_, a braggart, are not the parents
of the Eng. word.]
BRAGGADOCIO, brag-a-d[=o]'shi-o, _n._ and _adj._ a braggart or boaster:
empty boasting. [From _Braggadochio_, a boastful character in Spenser's
_Faerie Queene_.]
BRAGGART, brag'art, _adj._ boastful.--_n._ a vain boaster.--_n._
BRAGG'ARDISM (_Shak._), boastfulness. [Fr. _bragard_, vain, bragging; prob.
of Celt. origin; Diez prefers Scand., and quotes Sw. _brak_, Dan. _brag_,
&c.]
BRAHMAN, brä'man, BRAHMIN, brä'min, _n._ a person of the highest or
priestly caste among the Hindus.--_adjs._ BRAHMAN'IC, -AL, BRAHMIN'IC, -AL,
BRAH'MINEE, appropriated to the Brahmans.--_ns._ BRAH'MANISM, BRAH'MINISM,
one of the religions of India, the worship of Brahma. [From _Brahma_, the
supreme post-Vedic Hindu deity.]
BRAID, br[=a]d, _v.t._ to plait or entwine.--_n._ cord, or other texture
made by plaiting.--_p.adj._ BRAID'ED, plaited, embroidered, trimmed with
braid.--_n._ BRAID'ING, the act of making braids: embroidery with braid.
[A.S. _bregdan_; Ice. _bregða_, to weave.]
BRAID, br[=a]d, _adj._ (_Shak._) dissembling, deceitful. [A.S. _brægd_,
falsehood, from _bregdan_, _brægd_, to weave.]
BRAID, br[=a]d, _v.t._ (_Shak._) to upbraid, to reproach. [Prob. from
_Abraid_, or BRAID (1).]
BRAIDISM, br[=a]d'ism, _n._ mesmerism or hypnotism. [From Dr James _Braid_,
who practised it about 1842.]
BRAIL, br[=a]l, _n._ a piece of leather to bind up a hawk's wing: (_pl._)
the feathers about a hawk's rump: (_naut._) one of the ropes used to truss
up a sail.--_v.t._ to haul in, as a sail, by pulling upon the brails. [O.
Fr. _brail_--L. _bracale_, a waist-belt for holding up the
breeches--_bracæ_.]
BRAILLE, br[=a]l, _n._ and _adj._ a kind of type for the blind, having
arbitrary signs consisting of varying combinations of six points arranged
thus ([Braille pattern]), there being sixty-two possible combinations of
these six points. [From Louis _Braille_, the inventor.]
BRAIN, br[=a]n, _n._ the term applied to that part of the central nervous
system which in vertebrated animals is contained within the cranium or
skull, and in the invertebrata, to the nervous ganglia near the head end of
the body: the seat of the intellect and of sensation: the
intellect.--_v.t._ to dash out the brains of: (_Shak._) to conceive
of.--_n._ BRAIN'-COR'AL, the popular name of certain kinds of coral, so
called from their general resemblance to a brain.--_p.adj._ BRAINED, having
brains.--_n._ BRAIN'-FE'VER, a loose popular term which includes congestion
of the brain and its membranes, delirium tremens, and inflammation of the
brain substance itself.--_adjs._ BRAIN'ISH (_Shak._), brain-sick,
hot-headed, furious; BRAIN'LESS, without brains or understanding:
silly.--_n._ BRAIN'-PAN, the skull.--_adj._ BRAIN'-SICK, diseased in the
understanding, deranged.--_adv._ BRAIN'SICK'LY (_Shak._).--_n._
BRAIN'-SICK'NESS. [A.S. _brægn_; Dut. _brein_, prov. Ger. _bregen_]
BRAIRD, br[=a]rd, _n._ the first shoots of corn or other crop.--_v.i._ to
appear above ground. [Orig. _Scot._; A.S. _brerd_, the edge, and _brord_, a
point.]
BRAISE, br[=a]z, _v.t._ to stew meat together with slices of bacon, &c.,
properly with a charcoal fire above and below the braising-pan.--_p.adj._
BRAISED. [Fr. _braiser_.]
BRAKE, br[=a]k, obsolete, _pa.t._ of BREAK.
BRAKE, br[=a]k, _n._ a fern: a place overgrown with ferns or briers; a
thicket.--_adj._ BRAK'Y. [A doublet of BRACKEN; ety. dub.]
BRAKE, br[=a]k, _n._ an instrument to break flax or hemp: a harrow: a
contrivance for retarding by friction the speed of carriages, wagons,
trains, or revolving drums.--_adj._ BRAKE'LESS, without a brake.--_ns._
BRAKE'MAN, the man whose business it is to manage the brake of a
railway-train; BRAKE'-VAN, the carriage wherein the brake is worked;
BRAKE'-WHEEL, the wheel to which a brake is applied. [From root of BREAK;
cf. Dut. _braak_, a flax-brake.]
BRAKE, br[=a]k, _n._ a handle, as of a pump: a lever for working a machine.
[Prob. through O. Fr. _brac_, from L. _brachium_, an arm.]
BRAMAH-PRESS, brä'ma-pres, _n._ a hydraulic press invented by Joseph
_Bramah_ of London (1748-1814), inventor also of the BRAMAH-LOCK, &c.
BRAMBLE, bram'bl, _n._ a wild prickly shrub bearing blackberries, a
blackberry bush: any rough prickly shrub.--_ns._ BRAM'BLE-BERR'Y,
BRAM'BLE-BUSH, a collection of brambles growing together; BRAM'BLE-FINCH,
BRAM'BLING, a bird nearly allied to the chaffinch.--_adj._ BRAM'BLY. [A.S.
_brémel_; Dut. _braam_, Ger. _brom-beere_.]