Emily Dickinson Lexicon

BRING'ING-FORTH, n.

Production. – Shak.

BRI'NISH, a. [from brine.]

Like brine; salt; somewhat salt; saltish.

BRI'NISH-NESS, n.

Saltness; the quality of being saltish.

BRINK, n. [Dan. and Sw. brink; W. bryncyn; Ir. breoch, bruach; from break.]

The edge, margin or border of a steep place, as of a precipice, or the bank of a river.

BRI'NY, a. [from brine.]

Pertaining to brine, or to the sea; partaking of the nature of brine; salt; as, a briny taste; the briny flood. – Dryden. Addison.

BRISK, a. [This word may be of the same family with frisk and fresh, which see. W. brysg, from brys, quick; brysiaw, to hasten, coinciding with press; from W. rhys, a rushing. See Rush.]

1. Lively; active; nimble; gay; sprightly, vivacious; applied to animals; as, a brisk young man; a brisk horse.
2. Full of spirit or life; effervescing, as liquors; as, brisk cider.
3. Lively; burning freely; as, a brisk fire.

BRISK, or BRISK-UP, v.t.

To make lively; to enliven; to animate.

BRISK'ET, n. [Qu. Fr. brechet.]

The breast of an animal; or that part of the breast that lies next to the ribs. The fore part of the neck of a horse, at the shoulder down to the fore legs. – Bailey.

BRISK'-LOOK-ING, a.

Having a lively look.

BRISK'LY, adv.

Actively; vigorously; with life and spirit. – Boyle. Ray.

BRISK'NESS, n.

Liveliness; vigor in action; quickness; gayety; vivacity; effervescence of liquors. – South. Dryden.

BRISK-UP, v.i.

To come up with life and speed; to take an erect, or bold attitude.

BRIS'TLE, n. [bris'l; Sax. bristl, and byrst; Sw. borst; D. borstel, a bristle, a brush; G. borste, bristle; borsten, to bristle up; Dan. bryster, to strut. The sense is, a shoot.]

1. The stiff glossy hair of swine, especially that growing on the back, used for making brushes; similar hair on other animals.
2. A species of pubescence on plants, in form of stiff roundish hair. – Martyn.

BRISTLE, v.i.

1. To rise or stand erect; as, the hair bristles. – Dryden.
2. To raise the head and strut, as in anger or defiance; as, a man bristles up to another. In this sense the word is common in the United States, but generally pronounced brustle.

BRIS'TLE, v.t.

1. To erect in bristles; to erect in defiance or anger, like a swine; as, to bristle the crest. – Shak.
2. To fix a bristle; as, to bristle a thread. – Johnson.

BRIS'TLE-ARM-ED, a.

Armed with bristles. – Kirby.

BRIS'TLE-BEAR-ING, a.

Having bristles. – Kirby.

BRIS'TLE-LIKE, a.

Stiff as a bristle.

BRIS'TLE-SHAP-ED, a. [bristle and shape.]

Of the thickness and length of a bristle, as a leaf. – Martyn.

BRIST'LY, a. [bris'ly.]

Thick set with bristles, or with hairs like bristles; rough. – Bacon.

BRIS'TOL-FLOW-ER, n.

A species of Lychnis, bachelor's button or catch fly. – Fam. of Plants.

BRIS'TOL-STONE, n.

Rock crystal or crystals of quartz, found in a rock near the city of Bristol in England.

BRIS'TOL-WA-TER, n.

The water of a warm spring near the city of Bristol in England. – Ash. Encyc.

BRIT, n.

A fish; probably a different orthography of bret, or burt. – Carew.

BRI-TAN'NIA, n.

A composition of lead and some other metal, as antimony or bismuth.