briar

English

Alternative forms

• brier

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /bɹʌɪə/
• Rhymes: -aɪə(r)

Etymology 1

From Old English brær.

Noun

briar (plural briars)

1. Any thorny plant, now especially a wild rose.
2. (figuratively) Anything sharp or unpleasant to the feelings.

Translations

thorny plant

• French: églantier (fr) m

• Irish:

  Old Irish: dris f

Derived terms

• briar-patch

Etymology 2

From French bruyère, assimilated with Etymology 1, above.

Noun

briar (plural briars)

1. The white heath, Erica arborea.
2. A pipe made from the root of this plant.

Translations

white heath

• French: bruyère (fr) f

• Scottish Gaelic: dris (gd) f

pipe

• French: pipe en bruyère f

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

• Dutch: boomhei (nl)

• Swedish: törnbuske (sv)

Derived terms

• briar-pipe