brig
[ brig ]
/ brɪg /
Save This Word!
noun
Nautical.
- a two-masted vessel square-rigged on both masts.
- (formerly, in the U.S. Navy) an armed brig-rigged or brigantine-rigged vessel.
- the compartment of a ship where prisoners are confined.
a place of confinement or detention, especially in the U.S. Navy or Marines; guardhouse.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON “ITS” VS. “IT’S”!
Apostrophes can be tricky; prove you know the difference between it’s and its in this crafty quiz!
Question 1 of 12
On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.
Origin of brig
First recorded in 1705–15; short for brigantine
Words nearby brig
Definition for brig (2 of 2)
Brig.
abbreviation
brigade.
brigadier.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for brig
British Dictionary definitions for brig (1 of 3)
brig1
/ (brɪɡ) /
noun
nautical a two-masted square-rigger
mainly US a prison, esp in a navy ship
Word Origin for brig
C18: shortened from brigantine
British Dictionary definitions for brig (2 of 3)
British Dictionary definitions for brig (3 of 3)
Brig.
abbreviation for
Brigadier
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