Braille

American  

[breyl] / breɪl /

Also braille

noun

1. Louis 1809–52, French teacher of the blind.

2. a system of writing or printing, devised by L. Braille for use by the blind, in which combinations of tangible dots or points are used to represent letters, characters, etc., that are read by touch.

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verb (used with object)

Brailled, Brailling

1. to write or transliterate in Braille characters.

Braille ¹ British  

/ breɪl /

noun

1. a system of writing for the blind consisting of raised dots that can be interpreted by touch, each dot or group of dots representing a letter, numeral, or punctuation mark

2. any writing produced by this method Compare Moon

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verb

1. (tr) to print or write using this method

Braille ² British  

/ braj /

noun

1. Louis (lwi). 1809–52, French inventor, musician, and teacher of the blind, who himself was blind from the age of three and who devised the Braille system of raised writing

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Braille Cultural  

1. A system of writing and printing for the blind in which arrangements of raised dots representing letters and numbers can be identified by touch.

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Etymology

Origin of Braille

First recorded in 1850–55

Explanation

The raised printing that can be felt with the fingers and read that way by people who are blind or visually impaired is called braille. Braille appears as a system of embossed dots, a tactile language that can be learned by those with limited vision. Books, articles, and letters can all be transcribed into braille by hand or with the help of a braille typewriter. You might see braille printed on elevator buttons, apartment numbers, and in other public places. The writing system gets its name from its inventor, Louis Braille, who developed it at the age of 15.

Example Sentences

Her lobbying on equal access for disabled children led to the final Harry Potter book being released in Braille on the same day as the print version.

From BBC • Aug. 21, 2025

Away from the arts he spent than a decade volunteering at the Braille Institute where, during his playing days, he spent time reading to blind men and women.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2025

The Braille Institute quickly outfitted him with a brailler and a refreshable braille display, which functions like an e-reader.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2025

And on the box she comes in, Barbie will be spelled in Braille, which is language made of raised dots that blind people can feel to read things.

From BBC • Jul. 23, 2024

The day Gram gave me the claddagh I was sitting on her bed, tracing the nubby white bedspread like Braille under my fingers, watching her get ready for church.

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline