brant 
A man may ... sit on a bmnt hill side, hut it In' uive 
never so little forwanl, In- raimot ship, . . . lmt In- must 
nenls run headlong. Atcham, Toxophilus, i. 
brant 2 (brunt), n. Same as brent-goose White 
brant, a name ot n i-,Aiaer(ui r*. /, i; 
reiM, in the I'liilcd Stairs and ranaila. uln iv it i 
moil. Till' plumage "f till' ilclult is Slli.w whitr. I \, rplill- 
thr Mark primaries tinil usually a ni-l\ r.ilm ,,n ihr head ; 
tin' hill iiinl feet IIP' pinkish. See i-ut under ('/,.. 
Branta (bran'tii), . [NL., < brant-.'] 1. A 
ifeiitis nl' p-ese: same as Ili-rnir/n IT Itn ullm*. 
2. A genus of ilnrks : ,-i synonym of I'lilii/ulfi. 
brantail (bran'tiil), . [B.dial., fur 'liriml-lnil 
or "bi'iiinl-tiiil, that is, red-tail. See brand, braiil- 
J'ojc, brr>it-no<>,i<:] \ iiiimo of the redstart, Ku- 
In'illn /i/Hi'iiicin-ii. Miinliii/ii. [Local, British.] 
brant-foi (brant'foks), n. [< bran ft for brand 
(in allusion to its yellowish-brown color) + 
I'n.c ; = 1). bniiiilros = G. brand/ticks, brant- 
fox, a sorrel horse; cf. Sw. braml-raf = Dan. 
brnnilra-r, brant-fox (Sw. raf = Dan. rar, fox). 
See brent*, brent-goose.'] Vulpes alopex, a variety 
of Swedish fox, smaller than the common fox. 
brant-goose (brant'gos), n. Same as brent- 
(fnitsi-. 
brantlet ( bran'tl), n. [Also written bransle and 
by contraction brawl (see brawft), < OF. hnin- 
sle, F. branle, a dance, < bransler, now branler, 
shake: see brandle.] 1. A kind of dance. See 
branle'*. 
The King takes out the Duchessc of York, anil the Duke 
the Duchcsse of Buckingham, the Duke of Moninouth my 
Laily Castlemalne, anil so other lords other ladles ; and 
they danced the Itrantle. Pepyi, Diary, Dec. 80, 1862. 
2. A song for dance-music. 
Bramles, ballads, virelayes, and verses valne. 
Spenser, F. Q., III. x. 8. 
branular (bran'u-lftr), a. [A Latin-seeming 
form made from 6raln, after granular as related 
to grain.'} Relating to the brain; cerebral. 
[Bare.] 
Either a trick, practised upon me, or it might be a branti- 
lar Illusion. 7. Taylor, World of Mind, p. 634. 
braquemardt, . Same as braquemart. 
braquemart t, n. [OF., also braquemard, bra- 
quemar ( > ML. bragamardus, braquemardus) ; 
cf. OF. braquet, a poniard, Walloon braket, a 
sword.] A short sword with a single edge. 
It is generally thought to have been that type of sword 
in which the back Is perfectly straight and the edge curves 
out in such a way that 
near the point. 
out in such a way that the broadest part of the blade is 
. 
braset, v. t. An obsolete spelling of brace 1 . 
brasen, n. See brazen. 
brash 1 (brash), p. t. [The several words spelled 
brash are chiefly of dial, origin and of mod. 
appearance, and appar. in part of mod. forma- 
tion. The senses overlap, and make the sepa- 
ration of the words uncertain. Brash*- is appar. 
a popular formation on break, tract 1 , with the 
terminal form of bash, dash, crash, words of 
similar sense ; cf. brash 1 , n., and brash 3 , a. In 
the sense of ' assault, attack,' it is also found in 
early mod. Sc. as bresche, appar. a var. of brush, 
'.; cf. MLG. braschen, breschcn, intr., crack, 
make a loud noise, roar, boast, brassen, make 
a loud noise, = Norw. braska, make a loud 
noise, roar, boast, = Sw. braska, rustle, bustle, 
boast, = Dan. braske, boast, brag. See brastle.] 
[Scotch.] 1. To break to pieces; smash: as, 
lie brashed in the door. 2. To disturb; disor- 
der; break up the order or comfort of. 
I am terribly brashed with all these tumblings about. 
Carlyle, in J'roude, U. 100. 
3f. To assault; attack. 
brash 1 (brash), n. [< brash*, r.; cf. MLG. 
brasch, a crack, crasn, Dan. brash, a boast, 
ODan. also a crash, loud noise, a boast. In 
sense 4, cf. dial, brauch. The word in this 
sense cannot be taken, as supposed, from mod. 
F. brivhe (pron. nearly brash), breccia; more- 
over, breccia is a different thing from brash: 
see breccia, breach."] 1. A crash. [Prov. Eng.] 
2. An assault ; an attack. [Scotch.] 3. 
An effort; a short turn of work. [Scotch.] 
4. A confused heap of fragments. (a)lngtol., a 
mass of loose, broken, or angular fragments of rocks, 
resulting from weathering or disintegration on the spot. 
Liifll. (I*) .\niit., small fragments "f rrnshed ice collected 
by winds or currents near the shore, but si. Im'srly com- 
pacted that a ship can easily force its way through. A'n c. 
The ice first forms in thin, irregular Hakes called 
"sludge," and when this is compart enough to hold snow 
it is known as brash. J-'nf>i<-. Hi-it.. XIX. 328. 
(e) Kef use boughs of trees; clippings of hedges; loose 
twigs. 
brash 2 (brash), . [Hardly connected, as sup- 
posed, with Icol. brrHsk-h-ikr, weakness of body, 
< bri'i/skr, weak, inlirm (in a moral sense), prop. 
brittle isee brush'*), but perhaps a particular 
use of brash*, .] 1. A transient fit of sickness. 
llurm. [Scotch.] 2. A rash or eruption. [Lo- 
063 
eal. Kii^-l 3. Acidity in the mouth occasioned 
by a ilisnnlereil st.iinach. Also called icater- 
lirasli. Weaning brash, severe form of diarrhea 
wllirll s,,mrlimrs tolll.W* wrahill-- 
brash :! (brash), a. [Cf. K. dial. (North.) brass- 
<*-li. brittle; proli., with si >me alteration of form 
i perhaps li\ i-onfusion with brash*, .,4), < Irel. 
bri'i/skr, mod. also brciskr. brittle (cf. brash 1 *) 
pi-rhilp- Illl . en n neet I'll with bi'illl.- :i Mil br !</;/ . I 
Brittle, [Local, U. 8.] 
brash 1 (brush), a. [Perhaps of Celtic origin: 
cf. Gael, bras, Ir. bran, brasach, hasty, impetu- 
ous, keen, active, nimble ; cf. also D. barsch, > 
G. barsch = Dan. Sw. barsk, harsh, impetuous. 
Not connected with the eijuiv. rash*.] Impetu- 
ous ; rash ; hasty in temper. Grose. [Colloq., 
Eng. and U. S.]' 
brash 4 (brash), . [Appar. < brash*, a. ; but 
perhaps a particular use of brash 1 , n.j A vio- 
lent push. [Prov. Eng.] 
brash 4 (brash), r. i. [Appar. < brash*, a.; but 
perhaps a particular use of brash*, t'.] To run 
headlong. [Prov. Eng.] 
brash 5 (brash), . [Appar. a particular use of 
brash*.) A shower. 
brashy 1 (brash'i), a. [Appar. < brash*, n., 4, + 
-i/ 1 .] Small; rubbishy. [Prov. Eng.] 
brashy 2 (brash'i), a. [< brash 2 + -y 1 .] Subject 
to frequent ailment, as horses ; delicate in con- 
stitution. [Prov. Eng. and Scotch.] 
brashy 3 (brash'i), a. [Also braushic; appar. < 
brush" + -;/ 1 .] Stormy. [Scotch.] 
brasiatort, n. [ML., < brasiare, brew : see bras- 
serie.] A brewer. 
brasiatrilt, . [ML., fem. of brasiator, q. v.] 
A female brewer. 
brasier, . See brazier. 
brasil, . See brazil. 
brasilin, brasiline, n. See brazilin. 
brasils (bras'ilz), n. pi. [Cf. brassil, and E. 
dial, brti-il, sulphate of iron.] A kind of coal 
occurring in the middle of the Ten-yard coal 
in South Staffordshire, and preferred by some 
smelters for reverberatory furnaces, because it 
contains so much inorganic matter that a too 
rapid consumption is prevented. Percy. 
brasinat (bra-si'na), n. [ML., also bratsina 
(OF. brexfinc), < brasiare, brassare, brew: see 
brasserie.'] A brew-house. 
brasinariat, " [ML.] Same as brasina. 
brasiumt, " [ML., also bracium : see bras- 
xi'i-if.'] Malt. 
brasniatiast, [Gr. ffpao/taTlac,. equiv. to fipa- 
ffD/f, an upward earthquake, < ppaaaciv, shake, 
throw up.] An earthquake, when character- 
ized by an upward movement. 
brasque (brask), . [< F. brasque.'} A paste 
variously made, used as a lining for crucibles 
and furnaces. 
'I'lir brasque of the larger-sized crucibles is formed of 
anthracite powder, powdered gas-carbon, and gas-tar. 
W. II, Greenwood, Steel and Iron, p. 24. 
brasaue (brask), r. t. ; pret. and pp. brasqued, 
To - 
ppr. brasquing. 
brasque. 
[< brasque, n.] To line with 
The pig Is melted in a separate hearth, in fact is passed 
through a sort of "running out" nre or rennery before 
it reaches the tin. i \ proper ; the bed of this latter is 
>irii*iueil or lined with charcoal powder moistened and 
rammed in. and so forcibly compressed. 
Jlmyc. Brit., XIII. 319. 
brass 1 (bras), . and a. [< ME. bras, bres, < AS. 
bra's, brass, = Icel. bras (Haldorsen), solder (> 
Gael, iirais = Ir. pros = \V. preg, brass) ; related 
to Icel. brasa, harden in the fire, = Sw. brasa, 
flame, = Dan. brase, fry, > F. braser, solder 
(see braize 1 ) ; cf. OSw. and Sw. brasa, fire, Icel. 
brass (occurring once), a cook. Hence bra~e", 
brazen, brassen, etc.] I. . 1. An important 
alloy, consisting essentially of copper and zinc. 
The proportion in which the two metals are combined dif- 
fers considerably in different kinds of brass. Brass in gen- 
eral is harder tlmn copper, and consequently wears better 
than that metal. It in nialleiihle and ductile, so that it can 
lir riisily rolled into thin sheets, or be hammered into any 
desired shape. It turns easily in the lathe, and can be 
drawn into tine wire ; moreover, it has an attractive golden 
color, and is cheaper than copper. The color of brass va- 
ries with the proportions of the ingredients. A full yellow 
\ai irt y r<m tains aliout two parts of copper to one of zinc. 
This alloy was known to the ancients, and was made by 
thrui Ik'fore they had any knowledge of the metal zinc- 
as such. His not among the metallic substances 1111-11- 
tii'iiril l.y Homer; but it was well known to Stralw, who 
ilrsrrilirs the tnmlc of manufacturing it from the zinkifer- 
ous ore (calamin) f and calls the alloy orichalc (opiyaAitovX 
Srrr, inftai, motaic gold, Muntz't 
tin tul. ami >/'//< no't'il. In rlirtoriral comparisons, brua 
i- a r.mini.'H t>[M> of hardness, durability, or obduracy. 
I Tiless my nerves were frraw or hammer'd steel. 
Shak., Sonnet*, CM. 
Mm s rvil manners live iu brat* ; their virtues 
\\ . rite iii water. SAa*., Hen. VIII., iv. 2. 
,., 
(died 1399), in Wotmin- 
6ter Abbey. 
brassage 
2. A utensil, ornament, nr other artielc made 
of brass: as, to elean the In-mmes on board a 
ship. 3. In inii'-li.. a pil- 
low, beariiiK. <-olhir, lx>x, 
or bush, support ing a gud- 
gcoll : so elllleil liee.-illse i'fe- 
ijiieiitly made ,,f In-.,-.-. 
4. Ill llliill<-rill ilfi'liiinl.. :i 
funeral monument consist- 
ing of a plate of brass, usu- 
ally of rectangular shape 
and often of large size, in- 
cised with an effigy, coats 
of arms, inscriptions, and 
frequently accessory orna- 
ment. Such brasses are some- 
times splendidly cnamrlnl In 
some examples the designs are 
executed in relief, or in nlirf 
In combination with engraving. 
Slabs of stone inlaid with figures, 
etc., Ill brass are also called 
brasses, and are a usual form of 
medieval monument. Both the 
plates of brass and the inlaid 
stones were frequently placed 
in the ordinary pavement of 
churches. Comparatively few of 
such inonumcnU executed wholly 
in brass survive, as the value of the metal has caused it to 
be melted down and applied to other uses. 
Among the knightly bratxex of the graves, 
And by the cold Mir Jacets of the dead. 
Tennyson, Merlin and Vivien. 
5. A brass musical instrument, or, collectively, 
the brass instruments in a band or an orches- 
tra. 6. Money. [Now only colloq.] 
Withonten pite, pilour! pore men thou robbedest, 
And beere heor braf on till bac to Calcys to sulle. 
Fieri I'tmcman (A), iii. 189. 
We should scorn each bribing varlet's bratt. 
Dp. Hall, Satires, IV. T. 12. 
Trying to get out of debt, a very ancient slough, called 
by the Latins aes alienum, another's bra**, for some of 
their coins were made of brass; still living, and dying, 
and buried by this other's bran*. Thoreau, Walden, p. 9. 
7. In coal-mining, iron pyrites. It occurs in small 
particles disseminated through the coal, or in veinlets or 
thin scaly partings. [Rarely used except in the plural.) 
8. Excessive assurance; impudence; brazen- 
ness: as, he has brass enough for anything. 
[Colloq.] 
She In her defence made him appear such a rogue that 
the chief justice wondered he had the bra** to appear in 
a court of justice. Royer Sorth, Examen, p. 4 26fl. 
To me he appears the most impudent piece of brtu* 
that ever spoke with a tongue. 
GoldtnMh, She .Stoops to Conquer, iii. 
Brass-blacking. See Wactiw. Brass-color, in gltun- 
makinrj, a preparation for staining glass, made by expos- 
Ing thin brass plates upon tiles in the annealing-arch of 
a glass-house until they are completely oxidized into a 
black powder. This powder, fused with glass, gives vari- 
ous tints of green and turquoise. Brass- foil, or brass- 
leaf, Dutch leaf or Dutch gold, formed by iK'iiting out 
plates of brass to extreme thinness. Brass-powder, cop- 
per and its various alloys ground to flue powder and used 
with varnish for decorative purposes. Many of the so- 
called bronze-powders are brass-powders. 
U. a. Made or composed of brass ; pertain- 
ing to or resembling brass ; brazen ; brassy. 
Trumjiet, blow loud, 
Send thy braiu voice through nil these lazy tents. 
Shak., T. and C., I. 3. 
Brass Instrument. See mml-instrument. Brass rule. 
brass 1 (bras), r. t. [< brass*, ti. Cf. fcrorei.] To 
cover or coat over with brass. Copper Is brassed 
by exposing its surface to the fumes of metallic zinc, or 
by boiling it in diluted hydrochloric acid to which an 
amalgam of zinc and cream of tartar has been added. 
Iron is brassed by plunging it, after cleaning, Into melted 
brass, and by electro-deposition. 
brass 2 (bras), n. [In def. 1, same as brace*, q. 
v. ; in dejf. 2, < OF. brasse, " a fathom or an arm 
full ; or a measure of five foot " (Cotgrave), F. 
brasse, naut., a fathom (= Pr. brassa = Cat. 
brassa = Sp. bra:a = Pg. brac.it (ML. brassia, 
brassa), a fathom), same as brace , the two arms, 
< L. brachia, pi. of brachium. brarcliium, arm : 
see brace* (of which brass^ is a doublet) and 
brachium. Cf. It. braccio (> Swiss (rtMNf), a 
measure, a 'cubit' or 'fathom.' lit. arm, < L. 
brachium, arm.] If. Suut., same as brace. 
2. A continental European measure of length, 
equal to the extended arms or more ; a fathom. 
The old French brtuac was 63.9 English inches ; the Span- 
ish braza In Castile, 65.7 inches ; the Catalan bratta, 80.6 
inches ; the brtuailo of the Canary Isles (a variety of the 
Spanish braza), 71.6 inches ; the bm.-a of Portugal and 
Brazil, 86 Inches ; the Norwegian bra*.*, commonly used on 
North German nautical chart*. 74.1 inches. IThe word is 
n nifnsed with another derived from the singular braehimn 
ami signifying an arm's length.] 
brassage (bras'aj), H. [OF. brassage, brassaige 
(ML. lira:' niiimii. lirni'ni/ium), brassage (cf. ML. 
braccatitr. minter). K. DnoMttgO, coinage, mint- 
age, < brasser, stir up (the melted metal) : see 
