BREET, Bright.
BREEOTH, Breath.

BREWARD,) The tender blades of springing corn. BRUARD, S A. S. brord

2.

}

The brim of a hat. Sc. breard.

BRUARD, Dr. Jamieson observes that a metaphor is transferred from the word breard (a cognate expression), to the first appearance of the seed of the word, after it has been sown in the Ministry of the Gospel. "If left free, the braird of the Lord, that begins to rise so green in the land, will grow in peace to a plentiful harvest."

R. Gilhaize.

BREWIS, See Browis.

BREWSTER, A brewer.

Hence, Brewster sessions,

when magistrates grant licences to inn-keepers, vid. Brocket.

BRICKLE, Broken, unsettled, brittle.

brickle weather." A. S. brica, ruptor.

"Its feaful

"For why a brickel thing is glasse, and frayle is frayless youth."

Romeus and Jul.

"As breckyll yse in little pieces lap."

D. Virg. p. 438.

Chaucer, in Personnes' Tale, uses brotle. BRIDE-ALE, Immediately after the performance of the marriage ceremony, a ribbon is proposed as the prize of contention, either for a foot or a horse race, to the future residence of the bride. Should, however, any of the doughty disputants omit to shake hands with the bride, he forfeits all claim to the prize, tho' he be first in the race. For the laws of the Olympic games were never more strictly adhered to, than the bridal race by the Craven peasants.-Even the fair were not excluded in the horse race from this glorious contest.

Whoever had the good fortune to arrive first at the bride's house, requested to be shewn to the chamber of the new married pair. After he had turned down the bed clothes, he returns, carrying in his hand a tankard of warm ale, previously prepared, to meet the bride, to whom he triumphantly offers his humble beverage. He may go some distance before he meets her, as nothing is deemed more unlucky than for the bride and bridegroom to gallop. The bride then presents to him the ribbon as the honourable reward of his victory. Thus adorned, he accompanies the bridal party to their residence.

BRIDE-CAKE. The bridal party, after leaving the church, repair to a neighbouring inn, where a thin currant-cake, marked in squares, though not entirely cut through, is ready against the bride's arrival. Over her head is spread a clean linen napkin, the bride-groom standing behind the bride, breaks the cake over her head, which is thrown over her and scrambled for by the attendants.

BRIDE'S-PIE.

The bride's pie was so essential a dish on the dining table, after the celebration of the marriage, that there was no prospect of happiness without it. This was always made round, with a very strong crust, ornamented with various devices. In the middle of it, the grand essential was a fat laying hen, full of eggs, probably intended as an emblem of fecundity. It was also garnished with minced and sweet meats. It would have been deemed an act of neglect or rudeness if any of the party omitted to partake of it. It was the etiquette for the bridegroom always to wait on this occasion on his bride. Verstegan supposes that the term bride-groom took its origin from hence.

BRIDE-WAIN, A waggon laden with furniture, given to the bride when she leaves her father's house, the horses decorated with ribbons, now obsolete in Craven. BRIDLE, To bite on the bridle, to suffer great hardships, to be driven to straits.

"Tirer le Diable par la queue; manger de la vache enragée."

Miege.

"Tho he puts off a sinner for a time, and suffers him to bite on the bridle to prove him, yet we may not think that he hath forgotten us and will not help us.”

Latimer's Sermons.

BRIDLE-STY, A road for a horse but not for a carriage. Qu. bridle per metonym: for a horse, and A. S. stiga, a path. BELG. breyden, to ride. This has the same signification as the Suffolk word, mentioned by Ray.

BRIDLING, A bitch, maris appetens.

BRIGG, A bridge. A. S. brigg.

whapple way, as

"For an offrand at Wakefeld Brigg." vid.

H. L. Clifford, MSS. 1510.

"And so goth forth by the bok, a brygge as hit were."

P. Plou. p. 7.

BRIGGS, Irons to set over the fire to support boilers,

also made of wood to support sieves, &c.

BRIM, The heat in sows.

ISL. brenne, uror.

BRISKEN-UP, To be lively. This verb is both active and passive.

BRIST-HEIGH, Violently and impetuously.

"By pulling one and all wolde cum downe brist highte in rabbets."

Leland's Iter.

BROAD-SET, Short and bulky.

BROACH, A wooden spindle used in winding yarn. BROACH, To dress stones in a rough manner with a pick, not with a chisel.

BROCK, A badger, a pate, pure Saxon.

like a brock."

"He sweats

Shaks. Twelfth Night, ii. 5.

"To bores & to bockes yat breketh adoune menne heggis." P. Plou.

"Thei went about in Brok skynnes."

Traquair has written a privie letter
And he has seal'd it wi his seal

Ye may let the auld brock out o poke

xi. Heb. Wiclif.

The lands my ain, and a's gain weel."

Minst. S. B. 3 Vol. p. 161.

BROCKEN, Broken. "It's brocken weather."

BROCK-FACED, A white longitudinal mark down the

face, like a badger.

BROO, Brother.

BRODDLE, To make holes, to goad.

"Broddis the oxin with speris in our hands."

D. Virg. p. 299.

BRODE, Broad.

"Full large he was of limb & shoulder brode."

Spens, F. Q.

"He kembeth his locks brode."

BRODER, Broader.

"The measure thereof is longer then the earth, and it is broder then the sea."

Job. x. 9. Geneva Edit.

BROG, To crop. GR. βςωδκω.

BROGGLE, To grope or fish for eels.

BROKE, Sheep are said to broke when laid under a broken bank of earth, where they often collect together. To broke over, to cover with wings.

2.

BROO-CHIP, A person of the same trade, or a chip of the same block.

BROSTEN,

BRUSSEN,

Burst.

"For with the fall he brosten has his arm."

Chaucer.

BROTH, Is always used in the plural number. think thur er vara good broth."

BROTT, Shaken corn.

ISL. brot.

BROUTE, Brought.

"I

A. S. gebrode, fragments.

BROWN-LEEMING, A ripe, brown nut, from brown and BELG. leeminge, lime. Ripe nuts having, when they are separated from the husk, a white circle of fine powder, resembling lime. Brockett, in his Glossary of North country words, derives this word. from brown, and the French les meurs, the ripe

ones.

BROWIS, Pieces of bread soaked in water and afterwards saturated with fat. WELSH, brywis.

"Ale, Sir, will heat them more than your beef browis.” Wits o Play. Nares.

"When they sup beef brewis in lanten kail."

2.

"Else on a brander, like a haddock
He bruled, sprowling like a paddock."

Allan Ramsay.

BRUSH, To splash or trim hedges with a bill or hook. To clear the ground with a bush of thorns, &c. BRUSLE, To dry hay. Ray derives it from FR. brusler, to scorch or burn.

BRUST, Per metathesin, for burst; hence to brust muck or to spread dung.

BRUZZ, To bruise.

BRUZZ'D, Bruised.

"But all is brusd and broken."

Spenser.