breve

[ breev, brev ]

/ briv, brɛv /

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noun

Phonetics, Orthography. a diacritic (˘) over a vowel to show that it is short, or to indicate a specific pronunciation, as ŭ in (kŭt) cut.

Law.

an initial writ.
a writ, as one issued by a court of law.

Music.

the longest modern note, equivalent to two semibreves or whole notes.
Also brevis. a note in medieval mensural notation equal to one-half or one-third of a longa.

Prosody. a mark (˘) over a syllable to show that it is not stressed.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "IS" VS. "ARE"

"Is" it time for a new quiz? "Are" you ready? Then prove your excellent skills on using "is" vs. "are."

Question 1 of 7

IS and ARE are both forms of which verb?

have

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Origin of breve

1250–1300; Middle English <Medieval Latin, Latin breve, neuter of brevis short; see brief

Words nearby breve

Breuer chair, Breughel, breunnerite, Breus mole, brev., breve, brevet, brevi-, breviary, brevicaudate, brevicollis

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use breve in a sentence

Combinations such as (y with breve and macron) or (o with under-dot and macron) may not display as intended in all browsers.
King Horn, Floriz and Blauncheflur, The Assumption of Our Lady|Various
Vogler then gave Beethoven a theme of three measures (the scale of C major, alla breve).
The Life of Ludwig van Beethoven, Volume II (of 3)|Alexander Wheelock Thayer
Ancora una breve salita, e poi ci sar sul pi alto pinacolo del Prato Fiorite.
Notes and Queries, Number 189, June 11, 1853|Various
He takes a breve rest, quavering with a minimum of divergent emotion in the effort to be natural.
The Nurserymatograph|A Lawyer

The original text inconsistently uses a breve over the e in "Parthenia" and "Passameso."
Shakespeare and Music|Edward W. Naylor

British Dictionary definitions for breve

breve

/ (briːv) /

noun

an accent, (˘), placed over a vowel to indicate that it is of short duration or is pronounced in a specified way

music a note, now rarely used, equivalent in time value to two semibreves

RC Church a less common word for brief (def. 7)

Word Origin for breve

C13: from Medieval Latin breve, from Latin brevis short; see brief

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