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brig

[ brig ]
/ brɪg /
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noun
Nautical.
  1. a two-masted vessel square-rigged on both masts.
  2. (formerly, in the U.S. Navy) an armed brig-rigged or brigantine-rigged vessel.
  3. the compartment of a ship where prisoners are confined.
a place of confinement or detention, especially in the U.S. Navy or Marines; guardhouse.
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Origin of brig

First recorded in 1705–15; short for brigantine

Other definitions for brig (2 of 2)

Brig.
abbreviation
brigade.
brigadier.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to brig

guardhouse, prison, slammer, stockade

How to use brig in a sentence

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)

brig2
/ (brɪɡ) /
noun
a Scot and northern English word for a bridge 1

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
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