brawn

American  

[brawn] / brɔn /

noun

1. strong, well-developed muscles.

2. muscular strength.

   Synonyms:

   power, might, sturdiness, muscle, robustness, brawniness

3. Chiefly British.

   1. a boar's or swine's flesh, especially when boiled and pickled.

   2. headcheese.

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brawn British  

/ brɔːn /

noun

1. strong well-developed muscles

2. physical strength, esp as opposed to intelligence

3. a seasoned jellied loaf made from the head and sometimes the feet of a pig or calf

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Etymology

Origin of brawn

1275–1325; Middle English brawne < Old French braon slice of flesh ( Provençal bradon ) < Germanic; compare German Braten joint of meat, akin to Old English brǣd flesh

Explanation

Brawn means muscular strength. Brawn is thought of as the opposite of brains, but let’s face it — people can be strong and smart! No matter how smart you are, though, you must have big muscles to have brawn. The word brawn is from the Old French word braon, which means “fleshy or muscular part,” referring to a part of an animal that people cook and eat. British English still uses brawn to mean meat, headcheese in particular. In American English, brawn refers to strength and heft. You may also have heard the adjective brawny, meaning strong and muscular.

Example Sentences

The impact was so dramatic that Brawn driver Jenson Button won six of the first seven races as the rest of the sport scrambled to catch up.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 8, 2026

Mercedes was built from the pieces of an outfit called Brawn GP.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 7, 2026

The 52-year-old has been with the team since 2007, when it was Honda, and been a key figure in championships won under the name Brawn in 2009 and Mercedes from 2010.

From BBC • Jan. 20, 2026

Brawn and co-author Henry Pollock, who did postdoctoral research in NRES, already showed that both temperate and tropical birds can withstand temperature extremes, disproving the climate variability hypothesis across latitudes.

From Science Daily • Mar. 14, 2024

Delicate minced Pies, To feast every Virgin, Capon and Goose likewise, Brawn and a dish of Sturgeon.

From Christmas: Its Origin and Associations Together with Its Historical Events and Festive Celebrations During Nineteen Centuries by Dawson, William Francis