Emily Dickinson Lexicon

BRIT-AN'NIC, a.

Pertaining to Britain; or in its present use, to Great Britain. It is applied almost exclusively to the title of the king; as, His Britannic Majesty. In the Encyclopedia, article Argo Navis, it is applied to catalogue, the Britannic catalogue.

BRITE, or BRIGHT, v.i.

To be or become over ripe, as wheat, barley, or hops. – Johnson. [I know not that this word is used in the United States.]

BRIT'ISH, a.

Pertaining to Great Britain or its inhabitants. It is sometimes applied to the language of the Welsh.

BRIT'ON, a.

British. – Spenser.

BRIT'ON, n.

A native of Britain.

BRIT'TLE, a. [Sax. brittan, brytan, to break; Sw. bryta; Dan. bryder, id.; W. brad, a breaking; Sam. ברת‎‎, brat; Ch. פרת; Ar. فَرَثَ, frata; Syr. ܦܪܬ, frat; Heb. פרד, to part, to break. See Part.]

Easily broken, or easily breaking short, without splinters, or loose parts rent from the substance; fragile; not tough or tenacious; as, brittle stone or glass. – Arbuthnot.

BRIT'TLE-LY, adv.

In a brittle manner. – Sherwood.

BRIT'TLE-NESS, n.

Aptness to break; fragility; opposed to toughness and tenacity. – Boyle.

BRIZE, n.

The gad fly. [See Breeze.]

BROACH, n. [Fr. broche, a spit, faucet, or quill; W. proc, a thrust, a stab; It. brocco, a peg; brocciare, to prick; Sp. broca, a drill, a tack. It denotes a shoot, a sharp pointed thing.]

1. A spit, and in some parts of the English dominions, an awl, and a bodkin. – Encyc.
2. A musical instrument played by turning a handle. – Johnson.
3. A clasp or small utensil to fasten a vest. [See Brooch.]
4. A start of the head of a young stag. – Johnson.

BROACH, v.t. [W. prociaw, to thrust or stab.]

1. To spit; to pierce as with a spit. – Shak. Hakewill.
2. To tap; to pierce, as a cask, in order to draw the liquor; hence, to let out. – Hudibras.
3. To open, as a store. [Unusual.] – Knolles.
4. To utter; to give out; to publish first; to make public what was before unknown; as, to broach an opinion. – Swift. To broach to, in navigation, to incline suddenly to windward, so as to lay the sails aback and expose the vessel to the danger of oversetting. – Mar. Dict.

BROACH'ED, pp.

Spitted; tapped; opened; uttered; first published.

BROACH'ER, n.

A spit; one who broaches, opens, or utters; a first publisher. – Dryden. L'Estrange.

BROACH'ING, ppr.

Piercing with a spit; tapping; first divulging.

BROAD, a. [brawd; Sax. brad; Sw. bred; D. breed; Ger. breit; Dan. breed, broad; Arm. brudi, brudein, to publish. This word and spread seem to be formed on the root רדד, or רדה, to open, extend, spread; in Syr. to go, L. gradior; a root of extensive use.]

1. Wide; extended in breadth, or from side to side, as distinguished from long, or extended from end to end. It is opposed to narrow; as, a broad street; a broad table. – Dryden. Temple.
2. Wide; extensive; vast; as, the broad expanse of ocean.
3. Large; as, a broad mixture of falsehood. – Locke.
4. Open; clear; not covered, confined, or concealed; as, in broad sunshine.
5. Gross; coarse; as, broad mirth; broad nonsense. – Pope. Dryden.
6. Plain; tending to obscenity; as, a broad comment. – Dryden.
7. Bold; not delicate; not reserved; as, broad words. – Shak.
8. Comprehensive. It may be urged that the words in the constitution are broad enough to include the case. – D. Daggett, Wheaton's Rep. Broad as long, equal upon the whole. – L'Estrange.

BROAD'-AX, n. [broad and ax.]

Formerly a military weapon. In modern usage, an ax for hewing timber.

BROAD'-BACK-ED, a. [broad and back.]

Having a broad back. – Barlow.

BROAD'-BLOWN, a. [broad and blow.]

Full blown. – Shak.

BROAD'-BOT'TOM-ED, a.

Having a wide bottom.

BROAD'-BREAST-ED, a.

Having a broad breast.

BROAD'-BRIM-MED, a. [broad and brim.]

Having a broad brim. – Bramston.

BROAD'-CAST, a.

Cast or dispersed upon the ground with the hand, as seed in sowing; opposed to planting in hills or rows.

BROAD'-CAST, adv.

By scattering or throwing at large from the hand; as, to sow broad-cast.

BROAD'-CAST, n. [broad and cast.]

Among farmers, a casting or throwing seed from the hand for dispersion in sowing.

BROAD'-CHEST-ED, a.

Having a broad chest or thorax.