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bray²

(brā)

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.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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