Emily Dickinson Lexicon

BRAVE'LY, adv.

Courageously; gallantly; splendidly; in a brave manner; heroically. In Spenser, finely; gaudily.

BRAV'ER, a. [comp. of Brave.]

BRAVE'RY, n.

1. Courage; heroism; undaunted spirit; intrepidity; gallantry; fearlessness of danger; often united with generosity or dignity of mind which despises meanness and cruelty, and disdains to take advantage of a vanquished enemy. The duelist, in proving his bravery, shows that he thinks it suspected. – Anon.
2. Splendor; magnificence; showy appearance. The bravery of their tinkling ornaments. – Is. iii. Spenser.
3. Show; ostentation; fine dress. – Bacon.
4. Bravado; boast. – Bacon. Sidney.
5. A showy person. – Spenser. [In the last four senses, this word is nearly antiquated.]

BRAV'EST, a. [superl. of Brave.]

BRAV'ING, ppr.

Setting at defiance; challenging.

BRA'VO, n. [It. and Sp.]

1. A daring villain; a bandit; one who sets law at defiance; an assassin or murderer. – Gov. of the Tongue.
2. Well done.

BRA-VU'RA, n. [Sp. A boasting.]

A song requiring great force or ability.

BRAWL, n. [Norm. braul.]

1. Noise; quarrel; scurrility; uproar. – Hooker.
2. Formerly a kind of dance. – Shak. B. Jonson. Gray.

BRAWL, v.i. [G. brüllen; D. brullen; Dan. vraaler and bröler; Sw. vrala, to roar or bellow; Fr. brailler; Arm. brailhat, to brawl or be noisy; L. prælior; W. broliaw, to boast, to brag; brawl, a shooting out, a boast.]

1. To quarrel noisily and indecently. – Watts.
2. To speak loud and indecently. – Shak.
3. To roar as water; to make a noise. – Shak.

BRAWL, v.t.

To drive or beat away. – Shak.

BRAWL'ER, n.

A noisy fellow; a wrangler. – Ayliffe.

BRAWL'ING, n.

The act of quarreling.

BRAWL'ING-LY, adv.

In a quarrelsome manner. – Huloet.

BRAWN, n. [L. aprugnus, caro aprugna.]

1. The flesh of a boar, or the animal.
2. The fleshy, protuberant, muscular part of the body. – Peacham.
3. Bulk; muscular strength. – Dryden.
4. The arm, from its muscles or strength. – Shak.

BRAWN'ED, a.

Brawny; strong. – Spenser.

BRAWN'ER, n.

A boar killed for the table. – Johnson. King.

BRAWN'I-NESS, n.

The quality of being brawny; strength; hardiness. – Locke.

BRAWN'Y, a.

Musculous; fleshy; bulky; having large strong muscles; strong. – Dryden.

BRAY, n.¹

1. The harsh sound or roar of an ass; a harsh grating sound.
2. Shelving ground. – Fairfax.

BRAY, n.² [W. bre, a mount or peak.]

A bank or mound of earth. [Obs.] – Herbert.

BRAY, v.t. [Sax. bracan; Fr. broyer, to pound or bruise; braire, to roar, or bray as an ass; Arm. bregui, to roar; Norm. brair, to cry, to brag; Gr. βραχω; W. briwaw, to break in pieces, to rub or grind; breyan, a quern; Ir. bra, a handmill. See Brag and Break.]

1. To pound, beat, or grind small; as, to bray a fool in a mortar. – Prov. xxvii.
2. v. i. To make a harsh sound, as of an ass. – Dryden.
3. To make a harsh, disagreeable grating sound. – Milton.

BRAY'ER, n.

1. One that brays like an ass. – Pope.
2. An instrument to temper ink in printing-offices. – Bailey. Johnson.

BRAY'ING, n.

Roar; noise; clamor. – Smith.

BRAY'ING, ppr.

Pounding or grinding small; roaring.

BRAYLE, n. [See Brail.]