bray

Meanings

Verb

• Of an animal (now chiefly of animals related to the ass or donkey, and the camel): to make its cry.
• To make a harsh, discordant sound like a donkey's bray.
• To make or utter (a shout, sound, etc.) discordantly, loudly, or in a harsh and grating manner.
• To crush or pound, especially using a pestle and mortar.
• To hit (someone or something).

Noun

• The cry of an animal, now chiefly that of animals related to the ass or donkey, or the camel.
• Any discordant, grating, or harsh sound.

Origin

• The verb is derived from Middle English braien, brai, braie, bray, braye, from Old French brai, braire (modern French braire), possibly from Vulgar Latin *bragiō, from Gaulish *bragu (compare Breton breugiñ, brammañ, Cornish bramma, brabma, Old Irish braigid), from Proto-Celtic *brageti, *bragyeti, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreHg-; cognate with Latin fragrō. Alternatively, the word could be from a Germanic source, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *brekaną, and cognate with frangere.
• The noun is derived from the verb, or from Middle English brai, brait, from Old French brai, brait, from braire; see above.
• From Middle English braie, braien, braye, brayen, breien, from Anglo-Norman breier, Old French breie, breier, broiier (modern French broyer), possibly from Frankish *brekan, from Proto-Germanic *brekaną, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg-; thus making the English word a break.