Emily Dickinson Lexicon

BRAM'BLE-BUSH, n. [bramble and bush.]

The bramble, or a collection of brambles growing together. – Ash.

BRAM'BLED, a.

Overgrown with brambles.

BRAM'BLE-NET, n. [bramble and net.]

A hallier, or a net to catch birds. – Encyc. Ash.

BRAM'BLING, or BRAM'BLE, n.

A bird, a species of Fringilla, the mountain finch. – Encyc.

BRAM'BLY, adv.

Full of brambles.

BRAM'IN, or BRAH'MIN, n. [See Brachman.]

A priest among the Hindoos and other nations of India. There are several orders of bramins, many of whom are very corrupt in their morals; others live sequestered from the world, devoted to superstition and indolence. They are the only persons who understand the Sanscrit, or ancient language of the country, in which their sacred books are written; and to them are European nations indebted for their knowledge of the language. They worship Brama, the supposed creator of the world, but have many subordinate deities.

BRAM'IN-ESS, or BRAM-IN-EE', n.

The wife of a bramin.

BRA-MIN'IC-AL, a.

Pertaining to the bramins, or their doctrines and worship; as, the braminical system. – Asiat. Researches.

BRAM'IN-ISM, n.

The religion, or system of doctrines of the bramins.

BRAN, n. [W. bran, composed of b and rhan, a piece, from rhanu, to rend or tear; Arm. brenn; Ir. and Fr. bran. In Italian, brano, is a piece or bit. Arm. ranna; Ir. rannam, to tear.]

The outer coat of wheat, rye or other farinaceous grain, separated from the flour by grinding.

BRANC'ARD, n. [Fr.]

A horse litter. [Not in use.]

BRANCH, n. [Fr. branche; Arm. brancq. If n is not radical, this word coincides with W. braic, the arm, a shoot. This is probably the fact.]

1. The shoot of a tree or other plant; a limb; a bough shooting from the stem, or from another branch or bough. Johnson restricts the word to a shoot from a main bough; but the definition is warranted neither by etymology nor usage. A division of a main stem, supporting the leaves and fructification. – Martyn. An arm of a tree sprouting from the stem. – Encyc.
2. Any arm or extended part shooting or extended from the main body of a thing; as the branch of a candlestick or of an artery. Hence, from similitude, a smaller stream running into a larger one, or proceeding from it. Also, the shoot of a stag's horn; an antler.
3. Any member or part of a body, or system; a distinct article; a section or subdivision; as, charity is a branch of Christian duty.
4. Any individual of a family descending in a collateral line; any descendant from a common parent or stock.
5. Branches of a bridle, two pieces of bent iron which bear the bit, the cross chains, and the curb. – Encyc.
6. In architecture, branches of ogives are the arches of Gothic vaults, traversing from one angle to another diagonally, and forming a cross between the other arches, which make the sides of the square, of which these arches are diagonals. – Harris.
7. A warrant or commission given to a pilot. – Laws of Massachusetts.
8. A chandelier. – Ash.

BRANCH, v.i.

1. To shoot or spread in branches; to ramify; as a plant, or as horns.
2. To divide into separate parts or subdivisions, as a mountain, a stream, or a moral subject; to ramify.
3. To speak diffusively; to make many distinctions or divisions in a discourse.
4. To have horns shooting out. – Milton.

BRANCH, v.t.

1. To divide as into branches; to make subordinate divisions. – Bacon.
2. To adorn with needle-work, representing branches, flowers, or twigs. – Spenser.

BRANCH'ED, pp.

Divided or spread into branches; separated into subordinate parts; adorned with branches; furnished with branches.

BRANCH'ER, n.

1. One that shoots forth branches.
2. A young hawk when it begins to leave the nest and take to the branches.

BRANCH'ER-Y, n.

The ramifications or ramified vessels dispersed through the pulpy part of fruit. – Encyc. Ash.

BRANCH'I-NESS, n.

Fullness of branches. – Johnson.

BRANCH'ING, a.

Furnished with branches; shooting out branches.

BRANCH'ING, ppr.

Shooting in branches; dividing into several subordinate parts.

BRAN'CHI-O-PODE, n. [Gr. βραγχια, gills, and πους, ποδος, foot.]

A small animal having gill-bearing legs. – Kirby.

BRAN-CHI-OS'TE-GOUS, a. [Gr. βραγχια, gills, and ςεγος, a covering.]

Having gill-covers, or covered gills, as a branchiostegous fish; covering the gills, as the branchiostegous membrane. The branchiostegi are an order of fish in the Linnæan system, the rays of whose fins are bony, but whose gill-covers are destitute of bony rays.

BRANCH'I-REME, n. [Gr. βραγχια, and L. remus.]

An animal that has legs terminating in a bundle of setiform branches, connected with its respiration. – Kirby.

BRANCH'LEAF, n.

A leaf growing on a branch. – Martyn.

BRANCH'LESS, a.

Destitute of branches, or shoots; without any valuable product; barren; naked. – Shak.