bray

== English == === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation, General American) enPR: breɪ, IPA(key): /bɹeɪ/ Rhymes: -eɪ Homophone: brae === Etymology 1 === The verb is derived from Middle English brayen, brai, bray, braye (“of a person or animal: to vocalize loudly; of the weather: to make a loud sound, howl, roar”), from Old French brai, braire (“of an animal: to bray; of a person: to cry or shout out”) (modern French braire (“of an animal: to bray; of a person: to shout; to cry, weep”)), possibly from Vulgar Latin *bragiō, from Gaulish *bragu (compare Breton breugiñ (“to bray”), brammañ (“to flatulate”), Cornish bramma, brabma (“to flatulate”), Old Irish braigid (“to flatulate”)), from Proto-Celtic *brageti, *bragyeti (“to flatulate”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreHg- (“to flatulate; to stink”); cognate with Latin fragrō (“to smell”). Alternatively, the word could be from a Germanic source, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *brekaną (“to break”), and cognate with frangere (“to break, shatter”). The noun is derived from the verb, or from Middle English brai, brait (“shriek; outcry”), from Old French brai, brait (“a cry”), from braire (“of an animal: to bray; of a person: to shout; to cry, weep”); see above. ==== Verb ==== bray (third-person singular simple present brays, present participle braying, simple past and past participle brayed) (intransitive) Of an animal (now chiefly of animals related to the ass or donkey, and the camel): to make its cry. Synonyms: (archaic, dialectal) blore, (ass or donkey) hee-haw (intransitive, by extension) To make a harsh, discordant sound like a donkey's bray. (transitive) To make or utter (a shout, sound, etc.) discordantly, loudly, or in a harsh and grating manner. ===== Derived terms ===== brayer braying (noun) brayingly outbray ===== Translations ===== ===== See also ===== (equine laugh): horselaugh ==== Noun ==== bray (plural brays) The cry of an animal, now chiefly that of animals related to the ass or donkey, or the camel. Synonym: (ass or donkey) hee-haw (by extension) Any discordant, grating, or harsh sound. ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 2 === From Middle English brayen (“to break or crush into pieces”), from Anglo-Norman breier, Old French breie, breier, broiier (modern French broyer (“to crush, grind”)), possibly from Frankish *brekan (“to break”), from Proto-Germanic *brekaną (“to break”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg- (“to break”); thus making the English word a doublet of break. ==== Verb ==== bray (third-person singular simple present brays, present participle braying, simple past and past participle brayed) (transitive, archaic) To crush or pound, especially using a pestle and mortar. (transitive, British, chiefly Yorkshire, by extension) To hit (someone or something). ===== Translations ===== === References === === Anagrams === Raby, Ryba, bary-, yarb == Middle English == === Verb === bray alternative form of brayen (“to cry”)