vi·o·lent ( vº"…-l…nt) adj. 1. Marked by, acting with, or resulting from great force: a violent attack. 2. Having or showing great emotional force: violent dislike. 3. Marked by intensity; extreme: violent pain; a violent squall. See note at intense . 4. Caused by unexpected force or injury rather than by natural causes: a violent death. 5. Tending to distort or injure meaning, phrasing, or intent. [Middle English from Old French from Latin violentus from vºs vi-force; See wei …- in Indo-European Roots.] vi "o·lent·ly adv.

wei …-. Important derivatives are: vim violate violent Vital force. Related to w º-ro-. I. Zero-grade form *w º- ( < *wi …-). VIM , VIOLATE , VIOLENT , from Latin v ºs, force, with irregular derivatives viol ³re, to treat with force, and violentus , vehement. [ In Pokorny 3. ø ei- 1123. ]

drunk ( dr¾ngk) v. 1. Past participle of drink . adj. Usage Problem 1. a. Intoxicated with alcoholic liquor to the point of impairment of physical and mental faculties. b. Caused or influenced by intoxication. 2. Overcome by strong feeling or emotion: drunk with power. n. 1. A drunkard. 2. A bout of drinking.

Usage Note: As an adjective the form drunk is used predicatively while the form drunken is now used only attributively: He was drunk last night. A drunken man at the table beside us ruined our evening. In most contexts the attributive use of drunk is considered unacceptable in formal style. But the phrases drunk driver and drunk driving are supported not only by common usage but also, in many jurisdictions, by a legal distinction between the expressions drunk driver (a driver whose alcohol level exceeds the legal limit) and drunken driver (a driver who is inebriated).

drink ( dr¹ngk) v. drank ( dr²ngk) drunk ( dr¾ngk) drink·ing drinks v. tr. 1. To take into the mouth and swallow (a liquid). 2. To swallow the liquid contents of (a vessel): drank a cup of tea. 3. To take in or soak up; absorb: drank the fresh air; spongy earth that drank up the rain. 4. To take in eagerly through the senses or intellect: drank in the beauty of the day. 5. a. To give or make (a toast). b. To toast (a person or an occasion, for example): We'll drink your health. 6. To bring to a specific state by drinking alcoholic liquors: drank our sorrows away. v. intr. 1. To swallow liquid: drank noisily; drink from a goblet. 2. To imbibe alcoholic liquors: They only drink socially. 3. To salute a person or an occasion with a toast: We will drink to your continued success. n. 1. A liquid that is fit for drinking; a beverage. 2. An amount of liquid swallowed: took a long drink from the fountain. 3. An alcoholic beverage, such as a cocktail or highball. 4. Excessive or habitual indulgence in alcoholic liquor. 5. Slang A body of water; the sea: The hatch cover slid off the boat and into the drink. [Middle English drinken from Old English drincan; See dhreg- in Indo-European Roots.]

bau·ble ( bô"b…l) n. 1. A small, showy ornament of little value; a trinket. 2. Archaic A mock scepter carried by a court jester. [Middle English babel from Old French plaything]

balk also baulk ( bôk) v. balked also baulked balk·ing baulk·ing balks baulks v. intr. 1. To stop short and refuse to go on: The horse balked at the jump. 2. To refuse obstinately or abruptly: She balked at the very idea of compromise. 3. a. Sports To make an incomplete or misleading motion. b. Baseball To make an illegal motion before pitching, allowing one or more base runners to advance one base. v. tr. 1. To put obstacles in the way of; check or thwart. See note at frustrate . 2. Archaic To let go by; miss. n. 1. A hindrance, check, or defeat. 2. Sports An incomplete or misleading motion, especially an illegal move made by a baseball pitcher. 3. Games One of the spaces between the cushion and the balk line on a billiard table. 4. a. An unplowed strip of land. b. A ridge between furrows. 5. A wooden beam or rafter. [Middle English balken to plow up in ridges from balk ridge from Old English balca and from Old Norse balkr beam] balk "er n.

baulk ( bôk) v. n. 1. Variant of balk .

blue ( bl›) n. 1. Abbr. bl. Color The hue of that portion of the visible spectrum lying between green and indigo, evoked in the human observer by radiant energy with wavelengths of approximately 450 to 490 nanometers; any of a group of colors that may vary in lightness and saturation, whose hue is that of a clear daytime sky; one of the additive or light primaries; one of the psychological primary hues. 2. a. A pigment or dye imparting this hue. b. Bluing. 3. a. An object having this hue. b. Dress or clothing of this hue: The ushers wore blue. 4. a. A person who wears a blue uniform. b. blues A dress blue uniform, especially that of the U.S. Army. 5. Often Blue a. A member of the Union Army in the Civil War. b. The Union Army. 6. A bluefish. 7. A small blue butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. 8. a. The sky. b. The sea. adj. blu·er blu·est 1. Color Of the color blue. 2. Bluish or having parts that are blue or bluish, as the blue spruce and the blue whale. 3. Having a gray or purplish color, as from cold or contusion. 4. Wearing blue. 5. a. Gloomy; depressed. See note at depressed . b. Dismal; dreary: a blue day. 6. Puritanical; strict. 7. Aristocratic; patrician. 8. Indecent; risqué: a blue joke; a blue movie. v. tr. intr. blued blu·ing blues 1. To make or become blue.

Idioms: blue in the face 1. To the point or at the point of extreme exasperation: I argued with them until I was blue in the face. into the blue 1. At a far distance; into the unknown. out of the blue 1. From an unexpected or unforeseen source: criticism that came out of the blue. 2. At a completely unexpected time: arrived out of the blue. [Middle English blue, bleu from Old French bleu of Germanic origin; See bhel- 1 in Indo-European Roots.] blue "ly adv. blue "ness n.

blues ( bl›z) pl.n. used with a sing. or pl. verb 1. A state of depression or melancholy: The blues has finally gotten me today. I really have the blues today. 2. Music A style of music evolved from southern Black American secular songs and usually distinguished by slow tempo and flatted thirds and sevenths. [Short for blue devils ] blues "man n. blues "y adj.

blu·ets ( bl›"¹ts) pl.n. used with a sing. or pl. verb 1. Any of several herbs of the genus Hedyotis, especially the low-growing H. caerulea of eastern North America, which has blue flowers with yellow centers. Also Called Quaker-ladies . [Middle English from bleu blue; See blue ]

bluff 1 ( bl¾f) v. bluffed bluff·ing bluffs v. tr. 1. To mislead or deceive. 2. To impress, deter, or intimidate by a false display of confidence. 3. Games To try to mislead (opponents) in a card game by heavy betting on a poor hand or by little or no betting on a good one. v. intr. 1. To engage in a false display of strength or confidence. n. 1. The act or practice of bluffing. 2. One that bluffs. [Probably from Dutch bluffen from Low German] bluff "a·ble adj. bluff "er n.

bluff 2 ( bl¾f) n. 1. A steep headland, promontory, riverbank, or cliff. adj. bluff·er bluff·est 1. Rough and blunt but not unkind in manner. See note at gruff . 2. Having a broad, steep front. [Probably from obsolete Dutch blaf or Middle Low German blaff broad] bluff "ly adv. bluff "ness n.

blu·ing also blue·ing ( bl›"¹ng) n. 1. Any of various coloring agents used to counteract the yellowing of laundered fabrics. 2. A rinsing agent used to give a silver tint to gray or graying hair.

blue ( bl›) n. 1. Abbr. bl. Color The hue of that portion of the visible spectrum lying between green and indigo, evoked in the human observer by radiant energy with wavelengths of approximately 450 to 490 nanometers; any of a group of colors that may vary in lightness and saturation, whose hue is that of a clear daytime sky; one of the additive or light primaries; one of the psychological primary hues. 2. a. A pigment or dye imparting this hue. b. Bluing. 3. a. An object having this hue. b. Dress or clothing of this hue: The ushers wore blue. 4. a. A person who wears a blue uniform. b. blues A dress blue uniform, especially that of the U.S. Army. 5. Often Blue a. A member of the Union Army in the Civil War. b. The Union Army. 6. A bluefish. 7. A small blue butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. 8. a. The sky. b. The sea. adj. blu·er blu·est 1. Color Of the color blue. 2. Bluish or having parts that are blue or bluish, as the blue spruce and the blue whale. 3. Having a gray or purplish color, as from cold or contusion. 4. Wearing blue. 5. a. Gloomy; depressed. See note at depressed . b. Dismal; dreary: a blue day. 6. Puritanical; strict. 7. Aristocratic; patrician. 8. Indecent; risqué: a blue joke; a blue movie. v. tr. intr. blued blu·ing blues 1. To make or become blue.

Idioms: blue in the face 1. To the point or at the point of extreme exasperation: I argued with them until I was blue in the face. into the blue 1. At a far distance; into the unknown. out of the blue 1. From an unexpected or unforeseen source: criticism that came out of the blue. 2. At a completely unexpected time: arrived out of the blue. [Middle English blue, bleu from Old French bleu of Germanic origin; See bhel- 1 in Indo-European Roots.] blue "ly adv. blue "ness n.

blu·ish also blue·ish ( bl›"¹sh) adj. 1. Somewhat blue. blu "ish·ness n.

blunt ( bl¾nt) adj. blunt·er blunt·est 1. Having a dull edge or end; not sharp. 2. Abrupt and often disconcertingly frank in speech: " Onscreen, John Wayne was a blunt talker and straight shooter " Time See note at gruff . 3. Slow to understand or perceive; dull. 4. Lacking in feeling; insensitive. v. blunt·ed blunt·ing blunts v. tr. 1. To dull the edge of. 2. To make less effective; weaken: blunting the criticism with a smile. v. intr. 1. To become blunt. [Middle English] blunt "ly adv. blunt "ness n.

blurb ( blûrb) n. 1. A brief publicity notice, as on a book jacket. [Coined by Gelett Burgess (1866-1951), American humorist] blurb v.

blur ( blûr) v. blurred blur·ring blurs v. tr. 1. To make indistinct and hazy in outline or appearance; obscure. 2. To smear or stain; smudge. 3. To lessen the perception of; dim: " For street children . . . drugs offer the chance to blur their hopeless poverty " Alma Guillermoprieto v. intr. 1. To become indistinct. 2. To make smudges or stains by smearing. n. 1. A smear or blot; a smudge. 2. Something that is hazy and indistinct to the sight or mind. [Probably Middle English bleren to blear] blur "ri·ness n. blur "ry adj.

blurt ( blûrt) v. tr. blurt·ed blurt·ing blurts 1. To utter suddenly and impulsively: blurt a confession. [Probably imitative] blurt "er n.

bou·clé or bou·cle ( b›-kl³") n. 1. A type of yarn, usually three-ply and having one thread looser than the others, that produces a rough-textured cloth. 2. Fabric woven or knitted from this yarn. [French, from past participle of boucler to curl from Old French boucler from boucle buckle, curl of hair; See buckle ]

bou·din also Bou·dain ( b›-d²n", -d ²’") n. pl. bou·dins Bou·dains ( -d²n", -d ²nz") 1. A highly seasoned link sausage of pork, pork liver, and rice that is a typical element of Louisiana Creole cuisine. [French from Old French bodine intestines]

bouffe ( b›f) n. 1. See comic opera . [Short for opéra bouffe ]

bough ( bou) n. 1. A tree branch, especially a large or main branch. [Middle English from Old English b½h;See bh ³ghu- in Indo-European Roots.]

bought ( bôt) v. 1. Past tense and past participle of buy . See note at boughten .

buy ( bº) v. bought ( bôt) buy·ing buys v. tr. 1. To acquire in exchange for money or its equivalent; purchase. See note at boughten . 2. To be capable of purchasing: " Certainly there are lots of things in life that money won't buy " Ogden Nash 3. To acquire by sacrifice, exchange, or trade: wanted to buy love with gifts. 4. To bribe: tried to buy a judge. 5. Slang To accept the truth or feasibility of: The officer didn't buy my lame excuse for speeding. v. intr. 1. To purchase goods; act as a purchaser. 2. To believe in a person or movement or subscribe to an idea or theory: couldn't buy into that brand of conservatism. n. 1. Something bought or for sale; a purchase. 2. Informal Something that is underpriced; a bargain.

Phrasal Verbs: buy off 1. To bribe in order to proceed without interference or be exempted from an obligation or from prosecution. buy out 1. To purchase the entire stock, business rights, or interests of. buy up 1. To purchase all that is available of.

Idioms: buy time 1. To increase the time available for a specific purpose: " A moderate recovery thus buys time for Congress and the Administration to whittle the deficit " G. David Wallace buy the farm Slang 1. To die, especially suddenly or violently. [Middle English from Old English bycgan] buy "a·ble adj.

bou·gie ( b›"zh¶, -j ¶) n. 1. Medicine a. A slender, flexible, cylindrical instrument that is inserted into a bodily canal, such as the urethra, to dilate, examine, or medicate. b. See suppository . 2. A wax candle. [French from Old French a fine wax after Bougie (Bejaïa), a city of northern Algeria]

bou·le 1 ( b›"l¶, b ›-l³") n. 1. The lower house of the modern Greek legislature. 2. a. The senate of 400 founded by Solon in ancient Athens. b. A legislative assembly in any one of the ancient Greek states. [Greek boul¶;See g w el…- in Indo-European Roots.]

boule 2 ( b›l) n. 1. A pear-shaped synthetic sapphire, ruby, or other alumina-based gem, produced by fusing and tinting alumina. [French ball from Old French bubble from Latin bulla]

boule 3 ( b›l) n. 1. Variant of buhl .

buhl also boule or boulle ( b›l) n. 1. An elaborate inlay of tortoiseshell, ivory, and metal, used especially in decorating furniture. [After André Charles Boulle or Buhl (1642-1732), French woodcarver]

boulle ( b›l) n. 1. Variant of buhl .

buhl also boule or boulle ( b›l) n. 1. An elaborate inlay of tortoiseshell, ivory, and metal, used especially in decorating furniture. [After André Charles Boulle or Buhl (1642-1732), French woodcarver]

bounce ( bouns) v. bounced bounc·ing bounc·es v. intr. 1. To rebound after having struck an object or a surface. 2. To move jerkily; bump: The car bounced over the potholes. 3. To recover quickly, as from a setback: The patient bounced back to good health. 4. To bound: children bouncing into the room. 5. Informal To be sent back by a bank as valueless: a check that bounced. 6. Baseball To hit a ground ball that rebounds before reaching an infielder: The batter bounced out to the shortstop. v. tr. 1. To cause to strike an object or a surface and rebound: bounce a ball on the sidewalk. 2. Slang a. To expel by force. b. To dismiss from employment. See note at dismiss . 3. To write (a check) on an overdrawn bank account. n. 1. A rebound. 2. A sudden bound, spring, or leap. 3. The capacity to rebound; spring: a ball with bounce. 4. Spirit; liveliness. 5. Slang Expulsion; dismissal. 6. Chiefly British Loud, arrogant speech; bluster. [Probably from Middle English bounsen to beat]

bounc·y ( boun"s¶) adj. bounc·i·er bounc·i·est 1. Tending to bounce. 2. Springy; elastic: clean, bouncy hair. 3. Lively; energetic: bouncy tunes. bounc "i·ly adv.

bound 1 ( bound) v. intr. bound·ed bound·ing bounds 1. To leap forward or upward; spring. 2. To progress by forward leaps or springs. n. 1. A leap; a jump. 2. A rebound; a bounce. [French bondir to bounce from Old French to resound perhaps from Vulgar Latin *bombit ºre from Latin bombit³re to hum from bombus a humming sound from Greek bombos]

bound 2 ( bound) n. 1. Often bounds A boundary; a limit: Our joy knew no bounds. Your remarks exceed the bounds of reason. 2. bounds The territory on, within, or near limiting lines: the bounds of the kingdom. v. bound·ed bound·ing bounds v. tr. 1. To set a limit to; confine: a high wall that bounded the prison yard; lives that were bounded by poverty. 2. To constitute the boundary or limit of: a city park that was bounded by busy streets. 3. To identify the boundaries of; demarcate. v. intr. 1. To border on another place, state, or country. [Middle English from Old French bodne, bonde Anglo-Norman bunde both from Medieval Latin bodina of Celtic origin]

boun·ty ( boun"t¶) n. pl. boun·ties 1. Liberality in giving. 2. Something that is given liberally. 3. A reward, inducement, or payment, especially one given by a government for acts deemed beneficial to the state, such as killing predatory animals, growing certain crops, starting certain industries, or enlisting for military service. See note at bonus . [Middle English bounte from Old French bonte from Latin bonit³s goodness from bonus good; See deu- 2 in Indo-European Roots.]

deu- 2 . Important derivatives are: bonus bounty benefactor benefit benign beauty embellish dynamic dynamite dynasty To do, perform, show favor, revere. I. 1. Suffixed form *dw-enos . BONBON , BONITO , BONUS , BOON 2 , BOUNTY ; BONANZA , BONHOMIE , DEBONAIR , from Latin bonus , good ( < " useful, efficient, working "). 2. Adverbial form *dw-en ¶. BENEDICTION , BENEFACTION , ( BENEFACTOR ), ( BENEFIC ), ( BENEFICENCE ), ( BENEFIT ), BENEVOLENT , ( BENIGN ), ( HERB BENNET ), from Latin bene , well. 3. Diminutive *dw-en-elo- . BEAU , BEAUTY , BELLE ; BELDAM , BELLADONNA , BELVEDERE , EMBELLISH , from Latin bellus , handsome, pretty, fine. 4. Possibly suffixed zero-grade form *dw-eye- . ( BEATITUDE ); BEATIFIC , ( BEATIFY ), from Latin be ³re, to make blessed. 5. Possible (but unlikely for formal and semantic reasons) suffixed zero-grade form *du-n …-. DYNAMIC , ( DYNAMITE ), DYNAST , ( DYNASTY ); AERODYNE , from Greek dunasthai , to be able. [ Pokorny 2. deu- 218. ]

bourg ( b‹rg) n. 1. A market town. 2. A medieval village, especially one situated near a castle. [French from Old French from Late Latin burgus fortress of Germanic origin; See bhergh- 2 in Indo-European Roots.]

bourn 1 also bourne ( bôrn, b ½rn, b ‹rn) n. 1. A small stream; a brook. [Middle English from Old English burna; See bhreu- in Indo-European Roots.]

bourn 2 also bourne ( bôrn, b ½rn, b ‹rn) n. Archaic 1. A destination; a goal. 2. A boundary; a limit. [French bourne from French dialectal bosne, borne from Old French bodne limit, boundary marker from Medieval Latin bodina of Celtic origin]

bou·gie ( b›"zh¶, -j ¶) n. 1. Medicine a. A slender, flexible, cylindrical instrument that is inserted into a bodily canal, such as the urethra, to dilate, examine, or medicate. b. See suppository . 2. A wax candle. [French from Old French a fine wax after Bougie (Bejaïa), a city of northern Algeria]

bourse ( b‹rs) n. 1. A stock exchange, especially one in a continental European city. [French purse, bourse from Late Latin bursa bag; See bursa ]

bouse also bowse ( bouz) Nautical v. boused also bowsed bous·ing bows·ing bous·es bows·es v. tr. 1. To pull or hoist with a tackle. v. intr. 1. To hoist. [Origin unknown]

bou·ton ( b›-tôn") n. 1. A knoblike enlargement at the end of an axon, where it synapses with other neurons. [French button from Old French; See button ]

bhau- . Important derivatives are: beat buttock halibut butt 1 button refute To strike. I. Contracted from *bha …u- 1. BEAT , from Old English b ¶atan, to beat, from Germanic *bautan . 2. BEETLE 3 , from Old English b þtl, hammer, mallet, from Germanic *bautilaz , hammer. 3. BASTE 3 , probably from a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse beysta , to beat, denominative from Germanic *baut-sti- . 4. BUTTOCK , from Old English diminutive buttuc , end, strip of land, from Germanic *b ¿taz. 5. a. HALIBUT , from Middle Dutch butte , flatfish; b. TURBOT , from a Scandinavian source akin to Old Swedish but , flatfish. Both a and b from Germanic *butt- , name for a flatfish. 6. ( BOUTON ), BUTT 1 , BUTTON , BUTTRESS ; ABUT , REBUT , SACKBUT , from Old French bo(u)ter , to strike, push, from Germanic *buttan . 7. Zero-grade form *bh ¿- (*bhu …-) with verbal suffix -t ³-. a. CONFUTE , from Latin c ½nf¿t³re, to check, suppress, restrain ( com- , intensive prefix; see kom ); b. REFUTE , from Latin ref ¿t³re, to drive back, rebut ( re- , back; see re- ). 8. Possibly reduced suffixed form *bhu-tu- ( *bh …u-). FOOTLE , from Latin futuere , to have intercourse with (a woman). [ Pokorny 1. bhau- 112. ]

bru·in ( br›"¹n) n. 1. A bear. [Middle English bruin name of the bear in History of Reynard the Fox, translated by William Caxton from Middle Dutch bruun, bruin brown, name of the bear in Middle Dutch version of the fable; See bher- 2 in Indo-European Roots.]

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bruise ( br›z) v. bruised bruis·ing bruis·es v. tr. 1. a. To injure the underlying soft tissue or bone of (part of the body) without breaking the skin, as by a blow. b. To damage (plant tissue), as by abrasion or pressure: bruised the fruit by careless packing. 2. To dent or mar. 3. To pound (berries, for example) into fragments; crush. 4. To hurt, especially psychologically. v. intr. 1. To experience or undergo bruising: Peaches bruise easily. n. 1. An injury to underlying tissues or bone in which the skin is not broken, often characterized by ruptured blood vessels and discolorations. 2. A similar injury to plant tissue, often resulting in discoloration or spoilage. 3. An injury, especially to one's feelings. [Middle English bruisen from Old English brþsan to crush,and from Old North French bruisier ( of Germanic origin) ]

bruit ( br›t) v. tr. bruit·ed bruit·ing bruits 1. To spread news of; repeat. n. 1. also ( br›"¶) Medicine An abnormal sound heard in auscultation. 2. Archaic a. A rumor. b. A din; a clamor. [From Middle English noise from Old French, past participle of bruire to roar from Vulgar Latin *br ¿gºre (from Latin r¿gºre)(and from Vulgar Latin *bragere ) ]

bru·mal ( br›"m…l) adj. 1. Of, relating to, or occurring in winter. [Latin br¿m³lis from br¿ma winter from *brevima (di ¶s) the shortest (day) or winter solstice, archaic superlative of brevis short; See mregh-u- in Indo-European Roots.]

mregh-u- . Important derivatives are: brief abbreviate abridge merry mirth brace brassiere pretzel embrace Short. I. Suffixed form *mregh-w-i- . BRIEF , BRUMAL ; ABBREVIATE , ( ABRIDGE ), from Latin brevis , short. II. Zero-grade form *m —ghu-. 1. a. MERRY , from Old English myrge , mirige , pleasant; b. MIRTH , from Old English myrgth , pleasure, joy, from Germanic *murgith ½, pleasantness. Both a and b from Germanic *murgja- , short, also pleasant, joyful. 2. BRACHY- ; AMPHIBRACH , TRIBRACH , from Greek brakhus , short. 3. BRACE , BRACERO , BRACHIUM , BRASSARD , BRASSIERE , PRETZEL ; ( EMBRACE ), from Greek comparative brakhi ½n, shorter, hence also " upper arm " (as opposed to the longer forearm). [ Pokorny mreghu- 750. ]

brume ( br›m) n. 1. Fog or mist. [French from Old French perhaps from Provençal from Latin br¿ma winter; See brumal ] bru "mous ( br›"m…s) adj.

brunch ( br¾nch) n. 1. A meal typically eaten late in the morning as a combination of a late breakfast and an early lunch. [ br(eakfast) (l)unch ]

bru·net ( br›-nµt") adj. 1. Of a dark complexion or coloring. 2. Having dark brown or black hair or eyes. n. 1. A person with dark brown hair. See note at brunette . [French from Old French, diminutive of brun brown of Germanic origin; See bher- 2 in Indo-European Roots.]

bher- 2 . Important derivatives are: brown burnish beaver 1 bear 2 Bright, brown. I. 1. Suffixed variant form *bhr ¿-no-. a. BROWN , from Old English br ¿n, brown; b. BRUIN , from Middle Dutch bruun ; c. BRUNET , BURNET , BURNISH , from Old French brun , shining, brown. a, b, and c all from Germanic *br ¿naz. 2. Reduplicated form *bhibhru- , *bhebhru- , " the brown animal, " beaver. BEAVER 1 , from Old English be(o)for , beaver, from Germanic *bebruz . 3. BEAR 2 , from Old English bera , bear, from Germanic *ber ½, " the brown animal, " bear. 4. BERSERKER , from Old Norse björn , bear, from Germanic *bernuz .[ Pokorny 5. bher- 136. ]

brush 1 ( br¾sh) n. 1. a. A device consisting of bristles fastened into a handle, used in scrubbing, polishing, or painting. b. The act of using this device. 2. A light touch in passing; a graze. 3. A bushy tail: the brush of a fox. 4. A sliding connection completing a circuit between a fixed and a moving conductor. 5. A snub; a brushoff. v. brushed brush·ing brush·es v. tr. 1. a. To clean, polish, or groom with a brush. b. To apply with or as if with motions of a brush. c. To remove with or as if with motions of a brush. 2. To dismiss abruptly or curtly: brushed the matter aside; brushed an old friend off. 3. To touch lightly in passing; graze against. v. intr. 1. To use or apply a brush. 2. To move past something so as to touch it lightly.

Phrasal Verbs: brush up 1. To refresh one's memory. 2. To renew a skill. [Middle English brusshe from Old French brosse brushwood, brush; See brush 2 ] brush "er n. brush "y adj.

Synonyms: brush flick glance graze shave skim The central meaning shared by these verbs is " to make light and momentary contact with something in passing ": her arm brushing mine; flicked the paper with his finger; an arrow that glanced off the tree; a knife blade grazing the countertop; a taxi that shaved the curb; an oar skimming the surface of the pond .

brush 2 ( br¾sh) n. 1. a. A dense growth of bushes or shrubs. b. Land covered by such a growth. 2. Cut or broken branches. [Middle English brusshe from Old French brosse brushwood from Vulgar Latin *bruscia perhaps from Latin bruscum knot on a maple] brush "y adj.

bru·tal ( br›t"l) adj. 1. Extremely ruthless or cruel. See note at brute . 2. Crude or unfeeling in manner or speech. 3. Harsh; unrelenting: a brutal winter in the Arctic. 4. Disagreeably precise or penetrating: spoke with brutal honesty. bru "tal·ly adv.

brute ( br›t) n. 1. An animal; a beast. 2. A brutal, crude, or insensitive person. adj. 1. Of or relating to beasts; animal: " None of the brute creation requires more than food and shelter " Henry David Thoreau 2. Characteristic of a brute, especially: a. Entirely physical: brute force. b. Lacking or showing a lack of reason or intelligence: a brute impulse. c. Savage; cruel: brute coercion. d. Unremittingly severe: was driven to steal food through brute necessity. 3. Coarse; brutish. [From Middle English nonhuman from Old French brut from Latin br¿tus stupid; See g w er…- 1 in Indo-European Roots.] brut "ism n.

Synonyms: brute animal brutish brutal beastly bestial These adjectives apply to what is more characteristic of lower animals than of human beings. Brute, the least derogatory, stresses a lack of the understanding or sensibility regarded as distinguishing people from animals: brute force. Animal emphasizes physical nature as opposed to intellect or spirit: animal vitality. Brutish stresses marked lack of human refinement and sensitivity: He had the look of a dull and brutish man. Brutal emphasizes unfeeling cruelty: " the brutal amusements of the bullbaiting or the cockpit " (William Howitt). Both beastly and bestial imply degeneracy or moral degradation: indulging beastly desires; bestial and sordid drunkenness. Beastly, however, is often used to characterize what is merely very disagreeable: What a beastly storm!