brank
Americanverb (used without object)
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to hold up and toss the head, as a horse when spurning the bit or prancing.
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to bridle; restrain.
Etymology
Origin of brank
1500–50; brank ( def. 1 ) of uncertain origin; possibly related to German prangen “to adorn oneself, brag”; compare Middle High German brangen, brankieren; possibly 1550-1600; brank ( def. 2 ) of uncertain origin; probably a back formation from Scots branks “a bridle for restraining a scold”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Here is a picture of a brank formerly in the possession of the late Mr. F. A. Carrington, the well-known antiquary.
From Bygone Punishments by William Andrews
We are indebted to Mr. Alfred Burton for a drawing of the Macclesfield brank.
From Bygone Punishments by William Andrews
There are many traces of the brank in Lancashire.
From Bygone Punishments by William Andrews
The brank which has received the greatest attention is the one preserved in the vestry of Walton-on-Thames Parish Church.
From Bygone Punishments by William Andrews
This brank is depicted in the Reliquary for October, 1860.
From Curious Punishments of Bygone Days by Alice Morse Earle
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
