bruit

Meanings

Noun

• Hearsay, rumour; talk; an instance of this.
• A clamour, an outcry; a noise.
• An abnormal sound in the body heard on auscultation (for example, through using a stethoscope); a murmur.

Verb

• To disseminate, promulgate, or spread news, a rumour, etc.

Origin

• The noun is derived from Middle English bruit, from Anglo-Norman brut and Old French bruit (modern French bruit), a noun use of the past participle of bruire, from Late Latin brugere, an alteration of Latin rugīre (the present active infinitive of rugiō, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rewg-), possibly influenced by Late Latin bragere. The English word is cognate with Catalan brogir; Old Occitan bruir, brugir.
• The verb is derived from the noun.
• Borrowed from French bruit, from Old French bruit; see further at etymology 1.