brother

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[edit] English

deep « meet « interest « #473: brother » I've » longer » paid

[edit] Etymology

Old English brōþor, from Proto-Germanic *brōþēr, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰréh₂tēr.

[edit] Pronunciation

[edit] Noun

Singular
brother

Plural
brothers or (archaic) brethren

brother (plural brothers or (archaic) brethren)

  1. Son of the same parents as another person.
    My parents love me and my younger brother equally.
  2. A male having at least one parent in common with another (see half-brother, stepbrother).
  3. A male fellow member of a religious community or church.
  4. Someone who is a peer, whether male or female.
  5. (African American Vernacular) A black male.

[edit] Antonyms

  • (with regards to gender): sister

[edit] Hypernyms

[edit] Derived terms

[edit] Related terms

[edit] Translations

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.

[edit] Usage notes

The plural "brethren" tends to be used more in broader senses than in familial ones.

[edit] Verb

Infinitive
to brother

Third person singular
brothers

Simple past
brothered

Past participle
brothered

Present participle
brothering

to brother (third-person singular simple present brothers, present participle brothering, simple past and past participle brothered)

  1. (transitive) To treat as a brother.
    • 1819, Seest thou not we are overreached, and that our proposed mode of communicating with our friends without has been disconcerted by this same motley gentleman thou art so fond to brother? — Walter Scott, Ivanhoe

[edit] Translations

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