bray

[brey]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bray ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the loud, harsh cry of a donkey.

any similar loud, harsh sound.

verb (used without object)

to utter a loud and harsh cry, as a donkey.

to make a loud, harsh, disagreeable sound.

verb (used with object)

to utter with a loud, harsh sound, like a donkey.

RELATED WORDS

yell, neigh, hee-haw

Origin of bray

1250–1300; Middle English brayen < Old French braire to cry out (cognate with Medieval Latin bragīre to neigh) < Celtic; compare Old Irish braigid (he) breaks wind

Can be confusedbraid brayed

bray

[brey]

verb (used with object)

to pound or crush fine, as in a mortar.

Printing. to thin (ink) on a slate before placing on the ink plate of a press.

Origin of bray

1350–1400; Middle English brayen < Anglo-French bra(i)er, Old French broier < Germanic; see break

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

Examples from the Web for bray

Contemporary Examples of bray

Bray liked how it invoked the founding father “rising up from the grave.”
Meet Madison Rising, the Band Behind Sarah Palin's New Theme Song
Ben Jacobs
March 29, 2014
Bray said he knows everyone hates those bands, but that he still enjoys their music.
Meet Madison Rising, the Band Behind Sarah Palin's New Theme Song
Ben Jacobs
March 29, 2014
Bray selected a different student each time to lead the class in prayer and participated in the prayers herself.
The Louisiana Public School Cramming Christianity Down Students’ Throats
Andrew Cohen
January 26, 2014
The immigrant groups and unions were receptive, but Bray said Occupiers see a danger there.
As May Day Protests Are Planned, Will Wall Street Be Re-Occupied?
Matthew DeLuca
April 30, 2012
Though the national media may bray and belittle her, they continue to pay attention to her.
She Is Running!
Mark McKinnon
July 14, 2010

Historical Examples of bray

"I guess you'll not bray now," he remarked as he cut the rope.
Frank Roscoe's Secret
Allen Chapman
Whether this caused it or not the boys could not tell, but the donkey did not bray after that.
Frank Roscoe's Secret
Allen Chapman
He knew that Crews lived in Bray, but he had forgotten the address.
Changing Winds
St. John G. Ervine
With a rusty sword and a moke on board to bray like the Horse Marines.
The Battle of the Bays
Owen Seaman
You may hear their bray in every café, and France is going to the devil.
Dross
Henry Seton Merriman

British Dictionary definitions for bray

bray

verb

(intr) (of a donkey) to utter its characteristic loud harsh sound; heehaw

(intr) to make a similar sound, as in laughinghe brayed at the joke

(tr) to utter with a loud harsh sound

noun

the loud harsh sound uttered by a donkey

a similar loud cry or uproara bray of protest

Derived Formsbrayer, noun

Word Origin for bray

C13: from Old French braire, probably of Celtic origin

bray

verb

(tr) to distribute (ink) over printing type or plates

(tr) to pound into a powder, as in a mortar

Northern English dialect to hit or beat (someone or something) hard; bang

Derived Formsbrayer, noun

Word Origin for bray

C14: from Old French breier of Germanic origin; see break

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 bray

c.1300, from Old French braire "to cry," from Gallo-Romance *bragire "to cry out," perhaps from a Celtic source (cf. Gaelic braigh "to shriek, crackle"), probably imitative. Related: Brayed; braying.

c.1300, from bray (v.).