brawn en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
- /bɹɑn/ (cot-caught-merger)
- (US) audio
- /bɹɔn/ (General-American)
- /bɹɔːn/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
From Middle English brawne, from Old French braon (“slice of meat, fleshy part, buttock”), from Frankish *brādon, *brādan, oblique forms of *brādō (“roasted meat, ham”), from Proto-Germanic *brēdô (“meat, roast”), of uncertain further origin, but possibly from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreh₁- (“to burn, heat”). Akin to Old High German brāto (“tender meat”) (German Braten (“roast”)), Old English brǣde, brǣd (“flesh, meat”), Old Norse bráð (“raw meat”).
Meanings
- (countable, uncountable) Strong muscles or lean flesh, especially of the arm, leg or thumb.
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(countable, uncountable) Physical strength; muscularity.
The man was a bruiser, the sort who'd learned his science in tavern brawls. Given his size and lack of agility, he relied on his brawn to win. In any wrestling match, Crowley would triumph easily.
2000, Stephanie Laurens, A Secret Love, Avon Books, published 2000, →ISBN, page 349:The two men were husky, picked for their brawn by the little man who sauntered into the room.
2008, Michael Mandaville, Stealing Thunder, Dog Ear Publishing, published 2008, →ISBN, page 562:The youth agreed to the scheme and used his brawn to begin moving pieces into place, starting by moving the planet Rann into the Thanagarian star system […]
2010, Martin Pasko, Robert Greenberger, The Essential Superman Encyclopedia, Del Ray, published 2010, →ISBN, page 218:The builders at the site had more brawn than brain.
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(UK, countable, uncountable) Head cheese; a terrine made from the head of a pig or calf; originally boar's meat.
Now if your Majesty would have our bristles To bind your mortar with, or fill our colons With rich blood, or make brawn out of our gristles, In policy—ask else your royal Solons— You ought to give us hog-wash and clean straw, And sties well thatched; besides it is the law!
1820, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Oedipus Tyrannus; Or, Swellfoot The Tyrant: A Tragedy in Two Acts:It was brawn and shape for high tea.
1978, Jane Gardam, God on the Rocks, Abacus, published 2014, page 111:
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(UK, countable, dialectal, uncountable) A boar.
THE village of Brancepath, pleasantly situated at the distance of four miles and three- quarters south-west by west of Durham, is said to have derived its name (a corruption of Brawn's-path) from a brawn of vast size, [...]
1842, Moses Aaron Richardson, The Borderer's Table Book: Or, Gatherings of the Local History:And loud as brawns wer [they] snoring,
1821, John Stagg, The Cumbrian Minstrel: Being a Poetical Miscellany:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| brawns | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Relateds
Translations (68)
ang līra (strong muscles) · fi massa (physical strength, muscularity) · ga toirceoil (terrine) · fi lihakset (strong muscles) · ru мышцы (strong muscles) · nl spierkracht (strong muscles) · sh muskuloznost (strong muscles) · et sült (terrine) · pl tężyzna (physical strength, muscularity) · hu disznósajt (terrine) · fr hure (terrine) · sv muskelkraft (physical strength, muscularity) · mk шваргла (terrine) · sh mišićavost (strong muscles) · cy caws pen mochyn (terrine) · sv muskelstyrka (physical strength, muscularity) · sv sylta (terrine) · fr tête marbrée (terrine) · el δύναμη (physical strength, muscularity) · ru мускулы (strong muscles) · sh tlačenica (terrine) · bg пача (terrine) · ro mușchi (strong muscles) · fr tête fromagée (terrine) · hy դնդերք (strong muscles) · cs svaly (strong muscles) · cmn 膂力 (physical strength, muscularity) · cs tlačenka (terrine) · bg мускули (strong muscles) · gl cacheira prensada (terrine) · de Sülze (terrine) · sh gruba snaga (physical strength, muscularity) · hy մկաններ (strong muscles) · mi pakaua (physical strength, muscularity) · no sylte (terrine) · fi syltty (terrine) · fr tête pressée (terrine) · bg физическа сила (strong muscles) · la torus (strong muscles) · pl salceson (terrine) · nl hoofdkaas (terrine) · el ποντίκι (strong muscles) · fi lihasmassa (strong muscles) · fr fromage de tête (terrine) · ml കരുത്ത് (physical strength, muscularity) · cs fyzická síla (physical strength, muscularity) · es queso de cabeza (terrine) · nl zult (terrine) · pl muskularość (physical strength, muscularity) · nl spieren (strong muscles) · pl krzepa (physical strength, muscularity) · es cabeza de jabalí (terrine) · hu disznófősajt (terrine) · sl tlȃčenka (terrine) · hy մկանունք (strong muscles) · cs svaly (physical strength, muscularity) · cs huspenina (terrine) · fi lihasvoima (physical strength, muscularity) · cs sulc (terrine) · fi voima (physical strength, muscularity) · pl silne mięśnie (strong muscles) · el πηχτή (terrine) · de Muskelkraft (strong muscles) · enm brawne (strong muscles) · ru мускулистость (physical strength, muscularity) · fr muscle (strong muscles) · hy ֆիզիկական ուժ (physical strength, muscularity) · fr muscle (physical strength, muscularity)