brume

American  

[broom] / brum /

noun

1. mist; fog.

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brume British  

/ bruːm /

noun

1. poetic heavy mist or fog

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Other Word Forms

• brumous adjective

Etymology

Origin of brume

1800–10; < French: fog < Provençal bruma < Latin brūma winter, originally winter solstice, contraction of *brevima ( diēs ) shortest (day); breve

Explanation

A brume is a thick mist or fog. Plans for an autumn hike to see the colorful leaves may be thwarted if a brume rolls in, obscuring the view. The word brume is often used in poetic or literary contexts. It is borrowed from French, where it has the same meaning of "fog or mist," but its Latin root, bruma, means "winter." The connection between winter and fog makes sense, as brumes are most common in winter, or as winter approaches, especially in coastal areas, river valleys, and low-lying regions. As colder, wintry air moves in, it sinks and condenses, creating a thick fog.

Example Sentences

By 10 a.m., an early morning brume had burned off.

From New York Times • Nov. 1, 2022

As the sun brightened the brume, the baits began to defrost.

From New York Times • Apr. 25, 2019

The resulting brume confounds debate and makes it hard to say whether any seeming rise in hate crimes might be genuine.

From Slate • Nov. 14, 2018

The asphalt gave way to a dirt road through a rain forest, its canopy wreathed in brume.

From The New Yorker • Mar. 14, 2016

All around their bubble of stupidity I could feel the brume of the dragon.

From "Grendel" by John Gardner