br'er

American

[brur, brair, bur] / brɜr, brɛər, bɜr /

noun

Chiefly Southern U.S.

contraction of brother.

br'er British

/ brɜː, brɛə /

noun

slang:Black brother: usually prefixed to a name

Br'er Jones

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of br'er

An Americanism dating back to 1875–80

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Mah oler br'er went ter war wid mah marster.

From Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves Tennessee Narratives by Work Projects Administration

One nite mah br'er en me wuz sleepin' in de dining room.

From Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves Tennessee Narratives by Work Projects Administration

Atter freedum mah br'er en a Yankee soldier kum in a waggin en git us.

From Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves Tennessee Narratives by Work Projects Administration

I had a br'er kilt in de war en mah mammy got a lettle money fum 'im.

From Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves Tennessee Narratives by Work Projects Administration

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023