v. brayed, bray·ing, brays v.intr. 1. To utter the loud, harsh cry of a donkey. 2. To sound loudly and harshly: The foghorn brayed all night. v.tr. To emit (an utterance or a sound) loudly and harshly. n. 1. The loud, harsh cry of a donkey. 2. A sound resembling that of a donkey: "an endless bray of pointless jocosity" (Louis Auchincloss). [Middle English braien, from Old French braire, from Vulgar Latin *bragere, of Celtic origin.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
tr.v. brayed, bray·ing, brays 1. To crush and pound to a fine consistency, as in a mortar. 2. To spread (ink) thinly over a surface. [Middle English braien, from Old French breier, of Germanic origin; see bhreg- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.