Emily Dickinson Lexicon

BRUIS'ING, n.

In popular language, a beating or boxing.

BRUIS'ING, ppr.

Crushing; breaking or wounding by a blunt or heavy instrument.

BRUIT, n. [Fr.]

Report; rumor; fame. – Shak.

BRUIT, v.t.

To report; to noise abroad. – Ralegh.

BRUIT'ED, pp.

Reported.

BRUIT'ING, ppr.

Reporting.

BRU'MAL, a. [L. bruma, winter, brumalis; Span. bruma, winter, fog or mist.]

Belonging to the winter. – Brown.

BRUME, n. [Fr. brume; Sp. bruma. See Brumal.]

Mist; fog; vapors. [Little used.] – Barlow.

BRUN, or BURN, n.

A river or stream. [Obs.]

BRU-NET', or BRU-NETT'E, n. [Fr. from brun, brown. See Brown.]

A woman with a brown or dark complexion.

BRUN'ION, n. [Fr. brugnon.]

A sort of fruit between a plum and a peach. – Trevoux.

BRUNS'WICK-GREEN, n.

An ammoniaco-muriate of copper, used for paper hangings and in oil painting. – Ure.

BRUNT, n. [Dan. brynde, and brunst, ardor, ardency, burning heat. It is the Dutch brand, fire, flame, ardor, from the common root of burn, brennan, brand. This shows the radical sense of burn. See Burn.]

1. The heat, or utmost violence of an onset; the strength or violence of any contention; as, the brunt of a battle.
2. The force of a blow; violence; shock of any kind. – Hudibras.
3. A sudden effort. – Bp. Hall.

BRUSH, n. [Fr. brosse; It. brusca; Sp. brusca, bruza; probably allied to browse, W. brwys, thick, branching, from rhwys, vigor, luxuriance, or prys, brushwood. A brush is primarily sprouts, shoots.]

1. An instrument for cleaning any thing of dust and dirt by light rubbing, as floors, furniture, boots, &c. Brushes originally were made of shrubs or small branches of trees tied together, and such are yet used for coarse purposes. But the materials most used are bristles set in wood. Painters use a small brush to lay colors on their large pieces. Silversmiths use a wire-brush for scrubbing silver, copper or brass, in order to gilding; and there is a method of staining leather by rubbing the color on the skin with a brush. – Encyc.
2. Branches of trees lopped off; brushwood; a sense common in the United States.
3. The small trees and shrubs of a wood; or a thicket of small trees. – Encyc.
4. A skirmish; a slight encounter; also, an assault; a shock, or rude treatment, from collision; as we say a scouring, a rub.
5. In electricity, the luminous appearance of electric matter issuing in diverging rays from a point. – Encyc.
6. A tail; as, the brush of a fox.

BRUSH, v.i.

1. To move nimbly in haste; to move so lightly as scarcely to be perceived; as, to brush by. – Prior.
2. To move or skim over, with a slight contact, or without much impression. – Dryden.

BRUSH, v.t.

1. To sweep or rub with a brush; as, to brush a hat.
2. To strike as with a brush; to strike lightly, by passing over the surface, without injury, or impression; as, to brush the arm in passing; to brush the briny flood. – Dryden.
3. To paint with a brush: hence, to brush up is often used for cleansing in general. – Pope.
4. With off, to remove by brushing, as to brush off dust; also, to carry away by an act like that of brushing, or by passing over lightly, as by wind. – Bentley.
5. To move as a brush; to pass over with a light contact. – Dryden.

BRUSH'ED, pp.

Rubbed with a brush; struck lightly.

BRUSH'ER, n.

One who brushes.

BRUSH'ING, a.

Brisk; light; as, a brushing gallop. – Encyc.

BRUSH'ING, n.

A rubbing or sweeping.

BRUSH'ING, ppr.

Sweeping or rubbing with a brush; striking gently; moving nimbly in haste; skimming over lightly.

BRUSH'LIKE, a. [brush and like.]

Resembling a brush. – Asiat. Res.

BRUSH'WOOD, n. [brush and wood.]

Brush; a thicket or coppice of small trees and shrubs; also, branches of trees cut off. – Dryden.

BRUSH'Y, a.

Resembling a brush; rough; shaggy; having long hair. – Boyle.

BRUSK, a. [Fr. brusque.]

Rude; rough. – Wotton.