BRUCKLE, bruk'l, _adj._ (_Scot._) liable to break, brittle. [A.S.
_brucol_--_brekan_, to BREAK.]
BRUIN, br[=oo]'in, _n._ a bear, so called from the name of the bear in the
famous beast-epic _Reynard the Fox_, just as _reynard_ and _chanticleer_
have also passed from proper names into common names, often written without
capitals. [_Bruin_ = _brown_.]
BRUISE, br[=oo]z, _v.t._ to crush by beating or pounding: to oppress: to
box or fight with the fists: to ride recklessly in hunting, careless alike
of horse and crops: to reduce to small fragments.--_n._ a wound made by
anything heavy and blunt.--_p.adj._ BRUISED, hurt by a heavy blow, with
skin crushed and discoloured.--_n._ BRUIS'ER, one that bruises: a
boxer.--_p.adj._ BRUIS'ING, boxing. [A.S. _brýsan_, to crush, with which,
says Dr Murray, afterwards coalesced Fr. _brisie-r_; _bruisier_, _bruser_,
to break.]
BRUIT, br[=oo]t, _n._ noise: something noised abroad: a rumour or
report.--_v.t._ to noise abroad: to report: to celebrate. [Fr. _bruit_--Fr.
_bruire_; cf. Low L. _brug[=i]tus_; prob. imit.]
BRULZIE, BRUILZIE, brül'yi, _n._ Scotch and northern form of BROIL.
BRUMAIRE, br[=oo]m[=a]r', _n._ the second month in the French revolutionary
calendar, extending from Oct. 22 to Nov. 20. [Fr. _brume_, fog--L. _bruma_,
winter.]
BRUME, br[=oo]m, _n._ fog.--_adjs._ BRUM'AL, relating to winter; BRUM'OUS,
foggy, wintry. [L. _bruma_, winter, contr. from _brevima_, the shortest
day.]
BRUMMAGEM, brum'a-jem, _adj._ showy but worthless, sham, counterfeit. [From
a popular pronunciation of _Birmingham_.]
BRUNETTE, br[=oo]n-et', _n._ a girl with a brown or dark complexion. [Fr.
dim. of _brun_, brown.]
BRUNONIAN, br[=oo]-no'ni-an, _adj._ relating to the system of medicine
founded by Dr John _Brown_ of Edinburgh (1736-88)--all diseases _sthenic_,
those depending on an excess of excitement, or _asthenic_, those resulting
from a deficiency of it.
BRUNT, brunt, _n._ the shock of an onset or contest: the force of a blow:
the chief stress or crisis of anything.--_v.t._ to bear the brunt of. [Ice.
_bruna_, to advance like fire, is usually given; Dr Murray suggests that it
may be an onomatopoeia of Eng. itself (cf. DUNT), or connected with
_burnt_--Scot. _brunt_.]
BRUSH, brush, _n._ an instrument for removing dust, usually made of
bristles, twigs, feathers, or stiff grass stems: a kind of hair-pencil used
by painters: a painter, one who uses the brush: brushwood: a skirmish or
encounter: the tail of a fox: (_elect._) a brush-like discharge of sparks:
one of the bundles of copper wires or flexible strips in contact with the
commutator of the armature on opposite sides, and which carry off the
positive and negative currents of electricity generated.--_v.t._ to remove
dust, &c., from by sweeping: to touch lightly in passing: remove (with
_off_): to thrash.--_v.i._ to move over lightly: to make off with a
rush.--_n._ BRUSH'ING, the act of rubbing or sweeping.--_adj._ in a lively
manner: brisk.--_ns._ BRUSH'-WHEEL, a wheel used in light machinery to turn
another by having the rubbing surface covered with stiff hairs or bristles;
BRUSH'WOOD, rough close bushes: a thicket.--_adj._ BRUSH'Y, rough,
rugged.--TO BRUSH UP, to brighten, revive. [O. Fr. _brosse_, a brush,
brushwood--Low L. _bruscia_; Diez connects the Fr. with Old High Ger.
_burst_, _bursta_, bristle.]
BRUSQUE, br[=oo]sk, _adj._ blunt, abrupt in manner, rude.--_adv._
BRUSQUE'LY.--_ns._ BRUSQUE'NESS; BRUSQUE'RIE. [Fr. _brusque_; rude. See
BRISK.]
BRUSSELS, brus'elz, _n._ contracted from BRUSSELS-CARPET, a kind of carpet
in which the worsted threads are arranged in the warp, and are interwoven
into a network of linen. Still, the bulk of the carpet consists of
wool.--_n.pl._ BRUSS'ELS-SPROUTS, a variety of the common cabbage with
sprouts like miniature cabbages. [Named from _Brussels_ in Belgium.]
BRUST, brust, _pa.p._ (_Spens._). Same as BURST.
BRUTE, br[=oo]t, _adj._ belonging to the lower animals: irrational: stupid:
rude.--_n._ one of the lower animals.--_adj._ BRUT'AL, like a brute:
unfeeling: inhuman.--_v.t._ BRUT'ALISE, to make like a brute, to
degrade.--_v.i._ to live like a brute.--_n._ BRUTAL'ITY.--_adv._
BRUT'ALLY.--_n._ BRUTE'NESS, brute-like state: brutality: (_Spens._)
stupidity.--_v.t._ BRUT'IFY, to make brutal, stupid, or
uncivilised:--_pr.p._ brutify'ing; _pa.p._ brutif[=i]ed'.--_adj._ BRUT'ISH,
brutal: (_B._) unwise.--_adv._ BRUT'ISHLY.--_n._ BRUT'ISHNESS.--THE BRUTE
CREATION, the lower animals. [Fr. _brut_--L. _brutus_, dull, irrational.]
BRUTUS, br[=oo]'tus, _n._ a kind of wig: a way of wearing the hair brushed
back from the forehead, popular at the time of the French Revolution, when
it was an affectation to admire the old Romans, as _Brutus_.
BRYOLOGY, br[=i]-ol'o-ji, _n._ the study of mosses. [Gr. _bryon_, moss, and
_logia_--_legein_, to speak.]
BRYONY, br[=i]'o-ni, _n._ a wild climbing plant, common in English
hedgerows.--BLACK BRYONY, a climbing plant similar to bryony in habit and
disposition, but which may be readily distinguished by its simple, entire,
heart-shaped leaves, which are smooth and somewhat glossy. [L.--Gr.
_bry[=o]nia_.]
BRYOZOA, br[=i]-[=o]-z[=o]'a, _n.pl._ an old name for the Polyzoa, from
their resemblance to mosses.
BRYTHONIC, br[=i]th-on'ik, _adj._ a name introduced by Prof. Rhys for the
second of the two great divisions of Celtic ethnology. The _Goidelic_ or
_Gadhelic_ group embraces Irish, Manx, and Gaelic; the _Brythonic_ group,
Welsh, Breton, and Cornish. [_Brython_, one of the Welsh words for the
Welsh and so-called Ancient Britons.]
BUB, bub, _n._ (_slang_) strong drink.
BUBALIS, b[=u]'bal-is, _n._ a genus in the Antelope division of
hollow-horned, even-toed Ruminants, not to be confused with the genus
_Bubalus_, the Buffalo. [Gr.]
BUBBLE, bub'l, _n._ a bladder of water blown out with air: anything empty:
a cheating scheme.--_adj._ unsubstantial, deceptive.--_v.i._ to rise in
bubbles.--_v.t._ to cheat with bubble schemes:--_pr.p._ bubb'ling; _pa.p._
bubb'led.--_adj._ BUBB'LY.--_n._ BUBB'LY-JOCK, a Scotch name for a
turkey-cock.--BUBBLE AND SQUEAK, meat and cabbage fried together.--TO
BUBBLE OVER, as of a pot boiling, with anger, mirth, &c. [Cf. Sw. _bubbla_,
Dut. _bobbel_.]
BUBO, b[=u]'bo, _n._ an inflammatory swelling of the glands in the groin or
armpit.--_adj._ BUBON'IC, accompanied by buboes.--_n._ B[=U]B'UKLE, a
ridiculous word of Fluellen's for a red pimple, corrupted from _bubo_ and
_carbuncle_. [L.--Gr. _boub[=o]n_, the groin.]