brawn

Meanings

Noun

• Strong muscles or lean flesh, especially of the arm, leg or thumb.
• Physical strength; muscularity.
• Head cheese; a terrine made from the head of a pig or calf; originally boar's meat.
• A boar.

Verb

• Make fat, especially of a boar.
• Become fat, especially of a boar.

Origin

• From Middle English brawne, from Old French braon ("slice of meat, fleshy part, buttock"), from Frankish *brādon, *brādan, accusative form of *brādō, from Proto-Germanic *brēdô ("meat, roast"), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰréh₁- ("to burn, heat"), from *bʰrewh₁-. Akin to Old High German brāto ("tender meat") (German Braten ("roast")), Old English brǣde, brǣd, Old Norse bráð ("raw meat").