briar
English
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briar¹
- /bɹaɪə/ UK
- /ˈbɹaɪɚ/
Rhymes with -aɪə(ɹ)
Where it comes from
From Middle English brere, from Old English brēr [Old Mercian], brǣr (“briar, bramble”); further origin unknown, perhaps related to Old French bruiere (“heather”) (French bruyère). Compare Old Norse brǫrr (“briar”), whence Icelandic brörr.
noun briars · brier · breer · brere · breare
- Any of many plants with thorny stems growing in dense clusters, such as many in the Rosa, Rubus, and Smilax genera. Youngthes folke now flocken in every where, To gather May-buskets and smelling brere
- Anything that is sharp or unpleasant to the feelings. ¶ And thou ſonne of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their wordes, though bryars and thornes be with thee, and thou doeſt dwell among ſcorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be diſmayed at their lookes, though they be a rebellious houſe.
briar²
- /bɹaɪə/ UK
- /ˈbɹaɪɚ/
Rhymes with -aɪə(ɹ)
Where it comes from
From French bruyère, assimilated with Etymology 1, above.
noun briars · brier · breer · brere · breare
- Tree heath (Erica arborea), a thorny Mediterranean shrub.
- A pipe for smoking, made from the roots of that shrub. Then he put the insulted pipe in his pocket, corked himself up with the immense briar, and sneered at Cripps over the top of it.
Briar³
Where it comes from
As a surname Middle English brere (“briar”).
proper noun
- A topographic surname from Middle English.
- A unisex given name from English.
Translations
Every language
noun tree heath
| Español | brezo arbóreo, brezo blanco |
|---|---|
| Português | urze-molar, betouro, urze-branca, quiroga |
| Français | bruyère blanche, bruyère arborescente |
| Deutsch | Baumheide |
| Ελληνικά | ερείκη η δενδρώδης ereíki i dendródis |
noun pipe
| Français | pipe en bruyère |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | Bruyère-Pfeife |
Talk about this word "briar." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/briar. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. briar. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/briar "briar." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/briar.Cite this
@misc{briar_2026,
title = {briar},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/briar},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
