bran

[bran]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bran ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the partly ground husk of wheat or other grain, separated from flour meal by sifting.

verb (used with object), branned, bran·ning.

to soak or boil in bran water, as in the tanning of hides.

Origin of bran

1250–1300; Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French bran, bren, of uncertain origin

Related formsbran·ner, noun

Bran

[bran]

noun

Welsh Legend. a king of Britain and the brother of Manawydan and Branwen: his head was buried at London as a magical defense against invasion. He was sometimes regarded as a sea god or Christian saint.

a male given name, form of Brandon.

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

Related Words for bran

wheat, grain, corn, rice, rye, oats

Examples from the Web for bran

Contemporary Examples of bran

Meanwhile, Bran Co. are moving north to the Wall, driven by one of Bran's visions.
Game of Thrones’ ‘The Lion and the Rose’: Joffrey’s Demented, Shocking Royal Wedding
Andrew Romano
April 14, 2014
Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) may be one such person, given the level of rapport he has with his direwolf, Summer.
‘Game of Thrones’ Season 3 for Dummies
Jace Lacob
March 27, 2013
Three-Eyed Raven: A recurring motif in the dreams of Bran Stark that seems to point him towards an as-yet-undetermined path.
‘Game of Thrones’ Season 3 for Dummies
Jace Lacob
March 27, 2013
Since the events of the show began, the only Starks remaining at Winterfell are Bran and Rickon.
‘Game of Thrones’ Season 2 for Dummies
Jace Lacob
March 28, 2012
The wildling Osha (Natalia Tena), who is now in the service of Bran Stark, believes it means only one thing: dragons.
‘Game of Thrones’ Season 2 for Dummies
Jace Lacob
March 28, 2012

Historical Examples of bran

This gentleman is bran new from college, and will be more than a match for you.
The Imaginary Invalid
Molire
Then take out the hams, rub them with bran and smoke them for a fortnight.
Directions for Cookery, in its Various Branches
Eliza Leslie
I'll give you a bran new officer's sword, as bright as a mirror, for it—I will.
Wilfrid Cumbermede
George MacDonald
The tall and thin one spread the winding sheet over the bran.
L'Assommoir
Emile Zola
Throwing into it a quantity of bran while it is boiling, and before it is poured on the malt, will likewise have a good effect.
The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches,
Mary Eaton

British Dictionary definitions for bran

bran

noun

husks of cereal grain separated from the flour by sifting

food prepared from these husks

Related formsRelated adjective: furfuraceous

Word Origin for bran

C13: from Old French, probably of Gaulish origin

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 bran

c.1300, "the husk of wheat, barley, etc., separated from the flour after grinding," from Old French bren "bran, scurf, scales, feces" (12c., Modern French bran), perhaps connected with Gaulish *brenno- "manure," or with burn (v.). The word also was used 16c. in English for "dandruff flakes."

bran in Medicine

bran

[brăn]

n.

The outer layers of a cereal grain such as wheat, approximately 20 percent of which is indigestible cellulose, used as a source of dietary fiber.