brow

See also: Brow and brów

English

Etymology

Middle English browe, from Old English brū, from Proto-Germanic *brūwō, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃bʰrúHs (“brow”) (compare Middle Irish brúad, Tocharian B pärwāne (“eyebrows”), Lithuanian bruvìs, Serbo-Croatian obrva, Russian бровь (brovʹ), Ancient Greek ὀφρύς (ophrús), Sanskrit भ्रू (bhrū)), Persian ابرو (abrū, “eyebrow”)).

Pronunciation

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• IPA^(key): /bɹaʊ/
• Rhymes: -aʊ

Noun

brow (plural brows)

1. The ridge over the eyes; the eyebrow.
   • c. 1599, William Shakespeare, As You Like It, Act III Scene v^[1]:

     'Tis not your inky brows, your black silk hair, / Your bugle eyeballs, nor your cheek of cream / That can entame my spirits to your worship.

   • (Can we date this quote by Churchill and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     And his arched brow, pulled o'er his eyes, / With solemn proof proclaims him wise.

2. The first tine of an antler's beam.
3. The forehead.
   • c. 1597, William Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part 1, Act II Scene iii^[2]:

     Thy spirit within thee hath been so at war,

     And thus hath so bestirr'd thee in thy sleep,

     That beads of sweat have stood upon thy brow

     Like bubbles in a late-disturb'd stream, […]

   • 1913, Robert Barr, chapter 5, in Lord Stranleigh Abroad‎^[3]:

     Mr. Banks’ panama hat was in one hand, while the other drew a handkerchief across his perspiring brow.

4. The projecting upper edge of a steep place such as a hill.

   the brow of a precipice

5. (mining) A gallery in a coal mine running across the face of the coal.
6. (figurative) Aspect; appearance.
7. (nautical) The gangway from ship to shore when a ship is lying alongside a quay.
8. (nautical) The hinged part of a landing craft or ferry which is lowered to form a landing platform; a ramp.

Synonyms

• forehead

Derived terms

• beetle-browed
• eyebrow

Translations

eyebrow — see eyebrow

first tine of an antler's beam

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

forehead — see forehead

the projecting upper edge of a steep place such as a hill

• Bulgarian: надвиснала скала (nadvisnala skala)
• Finnish: reuna (fi), kieleke (fi)
• Italian: ciglio (it) m, orlo (it) m, cima (it) f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Latin: supercilium
• Maori: taumata, kāniuniu
• Portuguese: pico (pt)

the gangway from ship to shore when a ship is lying alongside a quay

• Bulgarian: сходня f (shodnja)
• Finnish: laskusilta (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: passerella da sbarco
• Russian: трап (ru) m (trap)

the hinged part of a landing craft or ferry which is lowered to form a landing platform; a ramp

• Finnish: ramppi (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: passerella da sbarco

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Ido: ^{(please verify)} brovo (io)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Romanian: ^{(please verify)} arcada, ^{(please verify)} frunte (ro)

Verb

brow (third-person singular simple present brows, present participle browing, simple past and past participle browed)

1. To bound or limit; to be at, or form, the edge of.
   • 1634, John Milton, Comus

     Tending my flocks hard by i' the hilly crofts / That brow this bottom glade.

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Middle English

Noun

brow

1. Alternative form of browe

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Norn

Etymology

From Old Norse brauð, from Proto-Germanic *braudą. Compare Shetlandic brau.

Noun

brow

1. (Orkney) bread