brother
- a male offspring having both parents in common with another offspring; a male sibling.
- Also called half brother. a male offspring having only one parent in common with another offspring.
- a stepbrother.
- a male numbered among the same kinship group, nationality, ethnicity, profession, etc., as another; an associate; a fellow member, fellow countryman, fellow man, etc.: a fraternity brother.
- Ecclesiastical.
- (often initial capital letter)a male numbered among the lay members of a religious organization that has a priesthood.
- a man who devotes himself to the duties of a religious order without taking holy orders, or while preparing for holy orders.
- brothers, all members of a particular racial or ethnic group, or of the human race in general: All men are brothers.
- Slang. fellow; buddy: Brother, can you spare a dime?
- Informal. a term used to refer to or address a fellow black man; soul brother.
- Slang. (used to express disappointment, disgust, or surprise).
Origin of brother
Synonym study
brethren
- fellow members.
- Archaic. brothers.
Synonym study
Examples from the Web for brother
Contemporary Examples
The brother of a girl who made her debut in New Orleans society was shaking his fists in excitement.
Among the other graduates was Officer Kevin Lynch, brother and son of police officers.
A 2008 Pakistani raid near Turbat turned up Abdolhamid Rigi, the brother of Abdelmalek Rigi.
Mating with a cousin or brother is safer than risking life and limb to mate with an outsider.
Mongooses, Meerkats, and Ants, Oh My! Why Some Animals Keep Mating All in the FamilyHelen Thompson
December 29, 2014
But in the days ahead he, his brother, and the others will be back in the street while their families worry at home.
Historical Examples
Ask the poor fisherman at the gates, who has been to him as a brother; and he will answer 'Anaxagoras.'
PhilotheaLydia Maria Child
She has got a brother, but he don't amount to shucks—he ain't much more'n a three-spot.
The SpendersHarry Leon Wilson
Is that brother of hers you told me about still makin' up to that party?
The SpendersHarry Leon Wilson
Your brother was foolish enough to leave his boat in Rushton's care.
Brave and BoldHoratio Alger
Your brother may become entangled in some way with this woman.
The SpendersHarry Leon Wilson
brother
- a male person having the same parents as another person
- short for half-brother, stepbrother
- a male person belonging to the same group, profession, nationality, trade union, etc, as another or others; fellow member
- (as modifier)brother workers
- comrade; friend: used as a form of address
- Christianity
- a member of a male religious order who undertakes work for the order without actually being in holy orders
- a lay member of a male religious order
- slang an exclamation of amazement, disgust, surprise, disappointment, etc
Word Origin
brethren
- archaic a plural of brother
- fellow members of a religion, sect, society, etc
Word Origin and History for brother
n.
Old English broþor, from Proto-Germanic *brothar (cf. Old Norse broðir, Danish broder, Old Frisian brother, Dutch broeder, German Bruder, Gothic bróþar), from PIE root *bhrater (cf. Sanskrit bhrátár-, Old Persian brata, Greek phratér, Latin frater, Old Irish brathir, Welsh brawd, Lithuanian broterelis, Old Prussian brati, Old Church Slavonic bratru, Czech bratr "brother").
A highly stable word across the Indo-European languages. In the few cases where other words provide the sense, it is where the cognate of brother had been applied widely to "member of a fraternity," or where there was need to distinguish "son of the same mother" and "son of the same father." E.g. Greek adelphos, probably originally an adjective with frater and meaning, specifically, "brother of the womb" or "brother by blood;" and Spanish hermano "brother," from Latin germanus "full brother." As a familiar term of address from one man to another, it is attested from 1912 in U.S. slang; the specific use among blacks is recorded from 1973.
brethren
n.
alternative plural of brother (q.v.); predominant c.1200-1600s, but surviving now only in religious usage.