Emily Dickinson Lexicon

BREN'NAGE, n. [from bran.]

In the middle ages, a tribute or composition which tenants paid to their lord, in lieu of bran which they were obliged to furnish for his hounds. – Encyc.

BRENT, or BRANT, a. [W. bryn, a hill.]

Steep; high. [Obs.] – Ascham.

BRENT, n.

1. A brant, or brand-goose, a fowl with a black neck and a white collar or line round it. [See Brant.]
2. pp. Burnt. [See Been.] [Obs.] – Spenser.

BRE-PHOT'RO-PHY, n. [Gr. βρεφος, an infant, and τρεφω, to feed.]

The nurture of orphans.

BREST, or BREAST, n.

In architecture, the member of a column, more usually called torus or tore. [See Torus.] – Encyc.

BREST'-SUM-MER, n.

In architecture, a piece in the outward part of a wooden building, into which the girders are framed. This, in the ground floor, is called a sill, and in the garret floor, a beam. – Encyc.

BRET, n.

A local name of the turbot, called also burt or brut.

BRET'FUL, a.

Brimful. [Obs.] – Chaucer.

BRETH'REN, n. [plur. of Brother.]

It is used almost exclusively in solemn and Scriptural language, in the place of brothers. [See Brother.]

BREVE, n. [It. breve; L. brevis; Sp. breve; Fr. bref, short. See Brief.]

1. In music, a note or character of time, equivalent to two semibreves or four minims. When dotted, it is equal to three semibreves. [Not now used.]
2. In law, a writ directed to the chancellor, judges, sherifs or other officers, whereby a person is summoned, or attached, to answer in the king's court. – Encyc. This word, in the latter sense, is more generally written brief.

BRE-VET', n. [from breve.]

1. In the French customs, the grant of a favor or donation from the king, or the warrant evidencing the grant; a warrant; a brief, or commission. More particularly, a commission given to a subaltern officer, written on parchment without seal. – Encyc.
2. A commission to an officer which entitles him to a rank in the army above his pay. Thus a brevet major serves as a captain and receives pay as such. Such commissions were given to the officers of the American army at the close of the war, giving them a grade of rank above that which they had held during service. – Encyc. Marshall's Life of Wash.

BRE'VI-A-RY, n. [Fr. breviaire; L. breviarium, from brevis, short. See Brief.]

1. An abridgment; a compend; an epitome. – Ayliffe.
2. A book containing the daily service of the Romish church. It is composed of matins, lauds, first, third, sixth and ninth vespers, and the compline or post communio. The Greeks also have a breviary. – Encyc.

BRE'VI-AT, n. [See Breve and Brief.]

A short compend; a summary. – Decay of Piety.

BRE'VI-ATE, v.t.

To abridge. [Not used.] [See Abbreviate.]

BRE'VI-A-TURE, n.

An abbreviation. [See Brief.] – Johnson.

BRE'VIER, n. [Fr. breviaire; so called, says Johnson, from being originally used in printing a breviary.]

A small kind of printing types, in size between bourgeois and minion. It is much used in printing marginal notes.

BRE-VIL'O-QUENCE, n. [L. brevis and loquor.]

A brief and pertinent mode of speaking.

BREV'I-PED, a. [L. brevis, short, and pes, foot.]

Having short legs, as a fowl.

BREV'I-PED, n.

A fowl having short legs.

BREV'I-PEN, n.

One of an order of grallatory birds, having short wings, as the ostrich.

BREV'I-TY, n. [L. brevitas, from brevis, short. See Brief.]

1. Shortness; applied to time; as, the brevity of human life.
2. Shortness; conciseness; contraction into few words; applied to discourses or writings. – Dryden.

BREW, n.

The mixture formed by brewing; that which is brewed. – Bacon.

BREW, v.i.

1. To be in a state of preparation; to be mixing, forming or collecting; as, a storm brews in the west. In this sense, I do not recollect the use of the verb, in a transitive sense, and generally the participle only is used; as, a storm is brewing.
2. To perform the business of brewing or making beer; as, she can brew, wash and bake.

BREW, v.t. [Sax. briwan, to brew; briw, broth; D. brouwen, to brew, to contrive, to mix; G. brauen. These seem to be contractions of the Gothic; Sw. briggia; Dan. brygger, to brew. The Russ. has burchu. The Welch has brwc, a boiling, stir, tumult, from rhwc, something rough; and it has also berwi, to boil or bubble, whence berwezu, to brew, from bar, fury, impulse. Our word brew seems to be directly from the Saxon. The sense is, to stir, boil, or agitate with violence.]

1. In a general sense, to boil, and mix; hence in Saxon, it signifies broth or pottage; Old Eng. brewis.
2. In a more restricted sense, to make beer, ale or other similar liquor from malt; or to prepare a liquor from malt and hops, and in private families, from other materials, by steeping, boiling and fermentation.
3. To mingle. Brew me a pottle of sack. – Shak.
4. To contrive; to plot; as, to brew mischief.
5. To put in a state of preparation. – Qu.

BREW'AGE, n.

Malt liquor; drink brewed. – Shak.