brained

[ breynd ]

/ breɪnd /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR brained ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

having a particular type of brain (used in combination): small-brained dinosaurs.

Nearby words

Origin of brained

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at brain, -ed³

brain

[ breyn ]

/ breɪn /

noun

Anatomy, Zoology. the part of the central nervous system enclosed in the cranium of humans and other vertebrates, consisting of a soft, convoluted mass of gray and white matter and serving to control and coordinate the mental and physical actions.

Zoology. (in many invertebrates) a part of the nervous system more or less corresponding to the brain of vertebrates.

Sometimes brains. (used with a plural verb) understanding; intellectual power; intelligence.

the brain as the center of thought, understanding, etc.; mind; intellect.

brains, Slang. a member of a group who is regarded as its intellectual leader or planner: The junior partner is the brains of the firm.

Informal. a very intelligent or brilliant person.

Informal.

the controlling or guiding mechanism in a computer, robot, pacemaker, etc.
the part of a computer system for coordination or guidance, as of a missile.

verb (used with object)

to smash the skull of.

Slang. to hit or bang (someone) on the head.

Origin of brain

before 1000; Middle English; Old English bræg(e)n, bregen; cognate with Low German brägen, Dutch brein

SYNONYMS FOR brain

3. sense; capacity. See mind.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR brain ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsbrain·like, adjectivesu·per·brain, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for brained

The Republican Party seems to have been brained by a heavy cloud followed by an equally heavy sky-blue shape.
The Sky Is Falling|Stanley Crouch|February 5, 2009|DAILY BEAST
He was stabbed by the cook, cudgelled by the crew, brained by the mate, and shot by the captain.
Jack in the Forecastle|John Sherburne Sleeper
Surely he had not come thus near success to suffer his splendid Yankee captain to be brained there before his eyes.
Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science, Vol. 11, No. 22, January, 1873|Various
You may be sure I was inside in a moment, and I brained the savage with the butt of a pistol.
The Rover of the Andes|R.M. Ballantyne

I hated that keeper so't I could have brained him joyfully any minute.
Lippincott's Magazine, Vol. 26, August, 1880|Various
"If knuckles could do it, I should have brained him, sir," said Robert.
Rhoda Fleming, Complete|George Meredith

British Dictionary definitions for brained

brain

/ (breɪn) /

noun

the soft convoluted mass of nervous tissue within the skull of vertebrates that is the controlling and coordinating centre of the nervous system and the seat of thought, memory, and emotion. It includes the cerebrum, brainstem, and cerebellumTechnical name: encephalon Related adjectives: cerebral, encephalic

the main neural bundle or ganglion of certain invertebrates

(often plural) informal intellectual abilityhe's got brains

informal shrewdness or cunning

informal an intellectual or intelligent person

(usually plural; functioning as singular) informal a person who plans and organizes an undertaking or is in overall control of an organization, etc

an electronic device, such as a computer, that performs apparently similar functions to the human brain

on the brain constantly in mindI had that song on the brain

pick someone's brain to obtain information or ideas from someone

verb (tr)

to smash the skull of

slang to hit hard on the head

Word Origin for brain

Old English brægen; related to Old Frisian brein, Middle Low German bregen, Greek brekhmos forehead

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

Word Origin and History for brained

brain

Old English brægen "brain," from Proto-Germanic *bragnam (cf. Middle Low German bregen, Old Frisian and Dutch brein), from PIE root *mregh-m(n)o- "skull, brain" (cf. Greek brekhmos "front part of the skull, top of the head"). But Liberman writes that brain "has no established cognates outside West Germanic ..." and is not connected to the Greek word. More probably, he writes, its etymon is PIE *bhragno "something broken."

The custom of using the plural to refer to the substance (literal or figurative), as opposed to the organ, dates from 16c. Figurative sense of "intellectual power" is from late 14c.; meaning "a clever person" is first recorded 1914. Brain teaser is from 1923. Brain stem first recorded 1879, from German. Brain drain is attested from 1963. An Old English word for "head" was brægnloca, which might be translated as "brain locker." In Middle English, brainsick (Old English brægenseoc) meant "mad, addled."

brain

"to dash the brains out," late 14c., from brain (n.). Related: Brained; braining.

Medicine definitions for brained

brain

[ brān ]

n.

The portion of the central nervous system that is enclosed within the cranium, continuous with the spinal cord, and composed of gray matter and white matter. It is the primary center for the regulation and control of bodily activities, receiving and interpreting sensory impulses, and transmitting information to the muscles and body organs. It is also the seat of consciousness, thought, memory, and emotion.encephalon

Science definitions for brained

brain

[ brān ]

The part of the nervous system in vertebrates that is enclosed within the skull, is connected with the spinal cord, and is composed of gray matter and white matter. It is the control center of the central nervous system, receiving sensory impulses from the rest of the body and transmitting motor impulses for the regulation of voluntary movement. The brain also contains the centers of consciousness, thought, language, memory, and emotion. See more at brainstem cerebellum cerebrum.

A bundle of nerves in many invertebrate animals that is similar to the vertebrate brain in function and position.

Culture definitions for brained

brain

The central organ in the nervous system, protected by the skull. The brain consists of the medulla, which sends signals from the spinal cord to the rest of the brain and also controls the autonomic nervous system; the pons, a mass of nerve fibers connected to the medulla; the cerebellum, which controls balance and coordination; and the cerebrum, the outer layer of which, the cerebral cortex, is the location of memory, sight, speech, and other higher functions.

The cerebrum contains two hemispheres (the left hemisphere and the right hemisphere), each of which controls different functions. In general, the right hemisphere controls the left side of the body and such functions as spatial perception, whereas the left hemisphere controls the right side of the body and functions such as speech.

Under the cerebral cortex are the thalamus, the main relay center between the medulla and the cerebrum; and the hypothalamus, which controls blood pressure, body temperature, hunger, thirst, sex drive, and other visceral functions.

Idioms and Phrases with brained

brain

In addition to the idioms beginning with brain

brain drain
brain someone
brain trust

also see:

beat one's brains out
blow one's brains out
on one's mind (the brain)
pick someone's brains
rack one's brains

brained

adjective

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of brained

brain

noun

verb (used with object)

Origin of brain

Examples from the Web for brained

brain

noun

verb (tr)

Word Origin for brain

brain

brain

brain

n.

brain

brain

brain