FromMiddle Englishbrowe, fromOld Englishbrū, fromProto-West Germanic*brāwu, fromProto-Germanic*brūwō, fromProto-Indo-European*h₃bʰrúHs(“brow”).
Cognate withScotsbroo(“brow”),Dutchbrauw(“brow”),GermanBraue(“eyebrow”),Danish,Norwegian Nynorsk andSwedishbryn(“brow”),Faroese,Icelandicbrún(“brow”). See alsoMiddle Irishbrúad,Tocharian Bpärwāne(“eyebrows”),Lithuanianbruvi̇̀s,Serbo-Croatianobrva(“eyebrow”),Russianбровь(brovʹ,“brow”),Ancient Greekὀφρύς(ophrús,“eyebrow”),Sanskritभ्रू(bhrū,“eyebrow”)),Persianابرو(abru,“eyebrow”),Khowarبروُ(bruú,“eyebrow”).
brow (pluralbrows)
- The bonyridge over theeyes, upon which theeyebrows are located.
- Theeyebrow.
c.1598–1600 (date written),William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, inMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, andEd[ward] Blount, published1623,→OCLC,[Act III, scene v]:’Tis not your inkybrows, your black silk hair, / Your bugle eyeballs, nor your cheek of cream / That can entame my spirits to your worship.
c.1763,Charles Churchill,The Ghost:And his arch’dbrow, pulled o’er his eyes, / With solemn proof proclaims him wise.
- Theforehead.
c.1597 (date written),William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, inMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, andEd[ward] Blount, published1623,→OCLC,[Act II, scene iii]: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 thybrow
Like bubbles in a late-disturb’d stream,[…]
1913,Robert Barr, chapter 5, inLord Stranleigh Abroad[1]:Mr. Banks’ panama hat was in one hand, while the other drew a handkerchief across his perspiringbrow.
- (figurative)Aspect;appearance;facial expression.
1919,Katherine Mansfield, “Friendship”, in J. Middleton Murry, editor,The Scrapbook of Katherine Mansfield, published1940:Take it away; I'm frightened! / But she, with placidbrow, / Cries: "This is our Kitty-witty! / Why don't you love her now?"
- Theprojectingupperedge of asteepplace such as ahill.
thebrow of a precipice
- The firsttine of anantler's beam.
- (mining) Agallery in acoalmine running across theface of the coal.
- (nautical) Thegangway fromship toshore when a ship islyingalongside aquay.
- (nautical) Thehinged part of alanding craft orferry which islowered to form a landingplatform; aramp.
the bony ridge over the eyes, upon which the eyebrows are located
first tine of an antler's beam
the projecting upper edge of a steep place such as a hill
the gangway from ship to shore when a ship is lying alongside a quay
the hinged part of a landing craft or ferry which is lowered to form a landing platform; a ramp
Translations to be checked
brow (third-person singular simple presentbrows,present participlebrowing,simple past and past participlebrowed)
- Tobound orlimit; to be at, or form, the edge of.
1634 October 9 (first performance), [John Milton], edited byH[enry] Lawes,A Maske Presented at Ludlow Castle, 1634: […] [Comus], London: […] [Augustine Matthews] forHvmphrey Robinson, […], published1637,→OCLC; reprinted asComus: […] (Dodd, Mead & Company’s Facsimile Reprints of Rare Books; Literature Series; no. I), New York, N.Y.:Dodd, Mead & Company,1903,→OCLC,page19, lines531–532:Tending my flocks hard by i' the hilly crofts / Thatbrow this bottom glade.
brow
- alternative form ofbrowe
FromOld Norsebrauð, fromProto-Germanic*braudą. Compare Shetlandicbrau.
brow
- (Orkney)bread
brow
- brave,audacious,daring,courageous,dauntless,intrepid
