brain

brain
{{11}}brain (n.) O.E. brægen "brain," from P.Gmc. *bragnam (Cf. M.L.G. bregen, O.Fris., Du. brein), from PIE root *mregh-m(n)o- "skull, brain" (Cf. Gk. brekhmos "front part of the skull, top of the head"). But Liberman writes that brain "has no established cognates outside West Germanic ..." and is not connected to the Greek word. More probably, he writes, its etymon is PIE *bhragno "something broken."
The custom of using the plural to refer to the substance (literal or figurative), as opposed to the organ, dates from 16c. Figurative sense of "intellectual power" is from late 14c.; meaning "a clever person" is first recorded 1914. Brain teaser is from 1923. Brain stem first recorded 1879, from German. Brain drain is attested from 1963. An Old English word for "head" was brægnloca, which might be translated as "brain locker." In Middle English, Brainsick (O.E. brægenseoc) meant "mad, addled."
{{12}}brain (v.) "to dash the brains out," late 14c., from BRAIN (Cf. brain) (n.). Related: Brained; braining.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Brain — (br[=a]n), n. [OE. brain, brein, AS. bragen, br[ae]gen; akin to LG. br[ a]gen, bregen, D. brein, and perh. to Gr. bre gma, brechmo s, the upper part of head, if [beta] = [phi]. [root]95.] [1913 Webster] 1. (Anat.) The whitish mass of soft matter… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Brain — (engl. „Gehirn“) bezeichnet: ein deutsches Biotechnologieunternehmen, siehe Brain AG ein deutsches Musiklabel, siehe Brain (Label) eine medizinische Fachzeitschrift, siehe Brain (Fachzeitschrift) eine deutsche Fernsehsendung, siehe Brain… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • brain — brain; brain·i·ness; brain·ish; brain·less; in·ter·brain; brain·i·ac; am·brain; brain·sick·ly; …   English syllables

  • Brain — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Para otros usos de este término, véase (c)Brain. Brain País …   Wikipedia Español

  • Brain — студийный альбом Уэхары Хироми Дата выпуска 25 Мая 2004 Записан 9 11 Декабря 2003 Жанры Джаз, джаз фьюжн Длительность 61:44 …   Википедия

  • brain´i|ly — brain|y «BRAY nee», adjective, brain|i|er, brain|i|est. Informal. intelligent; clever. –brain´i|ly, adverb. –brain´i|ness, no …   Useful english dictionary

  • brain|y — «BRAY nee», adjective, brain|i|er, brain|i|est. Informal. intelligent; clever. –brain´i|ly, adverb. –brain´i|ness, no …   Useful english dictionary

  • Brain — (br[=a]n), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Brained} (br[=a]nd); p. pr. & vb. n. {Braining}.] [1913 Webster] 1. To dash out the brains of; to kill by beating out the brains. Hence, Fig.: To destroy; to put an end to; to defeat. [1913 Webster] There thou… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • brain — or brains [brān] n. [ME < OE brægen < IE base * mregh m(n)o , skull, brain > Gr bregma, forehead] 1. [sometimes pl.] the mass of nerve tissue in the cranium of vertebrate animals, an enlarged extension of the spinal cord: it is the main… …   English World dictionary

  • brain — ► NOUN 1) an organ of soft nervous tissue contained in the skull, functioning as the coordinating centre of sensation and intellectual and nervous activity. 2) intellectual capacity. 3) (the brains) informal the main organizer or planner within a …   English terms dictionary

  • Brain —   [breɪn], Dennis, britischer Hornist, * London 17. 5. 1921, ✝ (Autounfall) Hatfield (County Hertfordshire) 1. 9. 1957; Schüler seines Vaters, des Hornisten Aubrey Brain (* 1893, ✝ 1955), war 1. Hornist beim Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, dann… …   Universal-Lexikon

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