bran

¹ American  

[bran] / bræn /

noun

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

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verb (used with object)

branned, branning

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

Bran ² American  

[bran] / bræn /

noun

1. 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.

2. a male given name, form of Brandon.

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bran British  

/ bræn /

noun

1. husks of cereal grain separated from the flour by sifting

2. food prepared from these husks

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Other Word Forms

• branner noun

Etymology

Origin of bran

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

Explanation

The outside layer of a grain like wheat or rice is called bran. If you need some fiber, avoid the chocolate chip muffin and opt for the bran muffin instead. Most of wheat's nutrients are in its bran and germ, which are parts of an unprocessed cereal grain. When wheat is processed into white flour, the bran is removed. That's too bad since there are B vitamins, protein, iron, and important fatty acids in bran (all of which is stripped away when grain is milled or refined). White rice, for example, is rice with the bran and germ removed, while a grain of brown rice still contains both. In the sixteenth century, bran also meant "dandruff flakes." Yum!

Example Sentences

Insoluble fibres, found in wholegrain bread, bran and the skins of fruit and vegetables, help our poo travel through the gut.

From BBC • Jan. 16, 2026

Nearly 40% of the rice bran is discarded in Japan, providing a readily available source of raw material.

From Science Daily • Apr. 22, 2024

Keep that in mind if you eat wheat bran cereal with milk or calcium-enriched soymilk.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 18, 2023

He became a rice bran oil entrepreneur and embarked on other financial ventures before entering politics in 2019.

From Washington Times • Jul. 11, 2023

He sat quiet for a little, nibbling a patch of bran spilled on the boards outside the hutch.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams

Related Words

• corn
• grain
• rice
• wheat