brandish
[bran-dish]
- to shake or wave, as a weapon; flourish: Brandishing his sword, he rode into battle.
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- a flourish or waving, as of a weapon.
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Origin of brandish
Synonyms
See more synonyms for brandish on Thesaurus.com1. swing, flaunt, wield, display.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for brandished
Contemporary Examples
The $50,000 reward means a weapon was brandished to either the customers or the employees.
Another time Todd came by, he says White refused to open the door, brandished a knife, and told Todd to leave.
Even if brandished as a symbol of freedom and expression, they were designed as weapons, and they kill people every day.
Alarmed, Kegui brandished a knife and, official accounts say, slashed at the intruders, inflicting injuries, then fled.
The clip played with the belabored simplicity of a silent movie—one lug and two thugs, brandished gun and chain-snatch.
Historical Examples
Thereupon Panaumbe brandished his bludgeon, struck all the foxes, and killed them.
Aino Folk-TalesBasil Hall Chamberlain
He brandished his palette and brushes aloft, in his clenched fists.
His MasterpieceEmile Zola
She brandished the saucepan as though she was about to throw the lye-water in her sister-in-law's face.
L'AssommoirEmile Zola
He felt the blood rush to face, and his fists, as he brandished them in the air, trembled.
The Woman-HatersJoseph C. Lincoln
He drew his bowie-knife and brandished it as high as his arm could reach.
When the West Was YoungFrederick R. Bechdolt
brandish
- to wave or flourish (a weapon) in a triumphant, threatening, or ostentatious way
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- a threatening or defiant flourish
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Word Origin
C14: from Old French brandir, from brand sword, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German brant weapon
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 brandished
brandish
v.
mid-14c., from Old French brandiss-, present participle stem of brandir "to flourish (a sword)" (12c.), from brant "blade of a sword, prow of a ship," of Frankish origin (see brand (n.)). Related: Brandished; brandishing.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper