Brain, brān, 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, brārd, 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, brāz, 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, brāk, obsolete, pa.t. of Break.
Brake, brāk, n. a fern: a place overgrown with ferns or briers; a thicket.—adj. Brak′y. [A doublet of Bracken; ety. dub.]
Brake, brāk, 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, brāk, 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.]