brake
1[ breyk ]
/ breɪk /
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noun
verb (used with object), braked, brak·ing.
verb (used without object), braked, brak·ing.
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Origin of brake
1First recorded in 1400–50; of uncertain origin; possibly a special use of obsolete brake “a bridle, curb,” from Middle Dutch braeke “(flax) brake” (a tool that separates flax fibers from their woody stems); akin to break
OTHER WORDS FROM brake
brakeless, adjectiveOther definitions for brake (2 of 4)
brake2
[ breyk ]
/ breɪk /
noun
a place overgrown with bushes, brambles, or cane.
Origin of brake
2First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English fernebrake “fern thicket, fernbrake,” Old English (fearn)bracu “bed of fern, (fern)brake,” akin to Middle Low German brake “branch, twig, tree stump”
Other definitions for brake (3 of 4)
brake3
[ breyk ]
/ breɪk /
noun
any of several large or coarse ferns, especially the bracken, Pteridium aquilinum.
Origin of brake
3First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English brake, probably by back formation from braken “thicket of fern,” taken as plural; see bracken
Other definitions for brake (4 of 4)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use brake in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for brake (1 of 4)
brake1
/ (breɪk) /
noun
verb
to slow down or cause to slow down, by or as if by using a brake
(tr) to crush or break up using a brake
Derived forms of brake
brakeless, adjectiveWord Origin for brake
C18: from Middle Dutch braeke; related to breken to break
British Dictionary definitions for brake (2 of 4)
brake2
/ (breɪk) /
noun
an area of dense undergrowth, shrubs, brushwood, etc; thicket
Word Origin for brake
Old English bracu; related to Middle Low German brake, Old French bracon branch
British Dictionary definitions for brake (3 of 4)
British Dictionary definitions for brake (4 of 4)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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