brow

[ brou ]

noun

1. Anatomy. the ridge over the eye.
2. the hair growing on that ridge; eyebrow.
3. the forehead:

   He wore his hat low over his brow.

4. a person's countenance or mien.
5. the edge of a steep place:

   She looked down over the brow of the hill.

6. gangplank.

brow

/ braʊ /

noun

1. the part of the face from the eyes to the hairline; forehead
2. short for eyebrow
3. the expression of the face; countenance

   a troubled brow

4. the top of a mine shaft; pithead
5. the jutting top of a hill, etc
6. dialect.
   a steep slope on a road

Word History and Origins

Origin of brow¹

before 1000; Middle English browe, Old English brū; akin to Old Norse brūn, Sanskrit bhrūs

Word History and Origins

Origin of brow¹

Old English brū ; related to Old Norse brūn eyebrow, Lithuanian bruvis , Greek ophrus , Sanskrit bhrūs

Idioms and Phrases

see by the sweat of one's brow ; cause raised eyebrows .

Example Sentences

There was the arched brow, the hand on chin.

From Los Angeles Times

“You never want a young audience to go see a movie and furrow their brow thinking, ‘Who is this person?

From Los Angeles Times

The hollow brow horns found in Lokiceratops, for example, are also present in the oldest adult Triceratops, he said, while the asymmetrical horn spike on the frill could be a quirk of genetics.

From New York Times

“Not pregnant — just down bad cryin at the gym,” she captioned a video of herself, in which she shows off freshly bleached brows and thick eyeliner.

From Los Angeles Times

Blanche rested his face in his hands and furrowed his brow.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• eyebrow