brain

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See also: Brain

English

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Etymology

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A human brain

From Middle English brayn, brain, from Old English bræġn (“brain”), from Proto-West Germanic *bragn, from Proto-Germanic *bragną (“brain”), from Proto-Indo-European *mregʰnom (“skull, brain”), from Proto-Indo-European *mregʰ- (“marrow, sinciput”) + *-mn̥ (“nominal suffix”).

Cognate with Scots braine, brane (“brain”), North Frisian brayen, brein (“brain”), Saterland Frisian Brainge (“brain”), West Frisian brein (“brain”), Dutch brein (“brain”), Low German Brägen, Bregen (“brain”) (whence German Bregen (“animal brain”)), Ancient Greek βρεχμός (brekhmós, “front part of the skull, top of the head”).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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brain (countable and uncountable, plural brains)

  2. The control center of the central nervous system of an animal located in the skull which is responsible for perception, cognition, attention, memory, emotion, and action.
    Synonyms: encephalon, harns; see also Thesaurus:brain
    • 1587, Philip of Mornay [i.e., Philippe de Mornay], “That there is but Onely One God”, in Philip Sidney, Arthur Golding, transl., A Woorke Concerning the Trewnesse of the Christian Religion, […], London: […] [John Charlewood and] George Robinson for Thomas Cadman, […], →OCLC, page 18:
      The Ueynes are ſpred foorth throughout the whole bodie, howbeit from one welhead, that is to ſay from the Liuer: ſo be the Sinews, howbeit from the Brayne; So likewiſe are the Heartſtrings, howbeit from the Heart.
    • 2013 July 19, Ian Sample, “Irregular bedtimes may affect children's brains”, in The Guardian Weekly‎[1], volume 189, number 6, page 34:
      Irregular bedtimes may disrupt healthy brain development in young children, according to a study of intelligence and sleeping habits.  ¶ Going to bed at a different time each night affected girls more than boys, but both fared worse on mental tasks than children who had a set bedtime, researchers found.
    1. A part of the brain, especially associated with particular mental functions, abilities, etc.
      • 1892, Benjamin Ward Richardson, The Asclepiad, London, page 357:
        The left brain, or that which supplies and animates the right side of the body, is the most active brain, as a general rule.
      • 1981, William Irwin Thompson, The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light: Mythology, Sexuality and the Origins of Culture, London: Rider/Hutchinson & Co., page 113:
        What is expressed in the lotus, the plumed serpent, or the staff of Osiris is the yogi's knowledge of the three brains of man. The first brain is the reptilian brain of the spinal cord, the brain of instinctive reflexes, the brain of the subconscious.
  3. (informal) An intelligent person.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:genius
    She was a total brain.
    1. (plural only) A person who provides the intelligence required for something.
      He is the brains behind the scheme.
  4. (in the plural) Intellect.
    • 2008 Quaker Action (magazine) Rights trampled in rush to deport immigrant workers, Fall 2008, Vol. 89, No. 3, p. 8:
      "We provided a lot of brains and a lot of heart to the response when it was needed," says Sandra Sanchez, director of AFSC's Immigrants' Voice Program in Des Moines.
    She has a lot of brains.
    1. (in the singular) An intellectual or mental capacity.
      Gerald always acts like he doesn't have a brain.
  5. By analogy with a human brain, the part of a machine or computer that performs calculations.
    The computer's brain is capable of millions of calculations a second.
  6. (slang, vulgar, uncountable) Oral sex.
    • 2007, “Good Life”, in Graduation, performed by Kanye West ft. T-Pain:
      Have you ever popped champagne on a plane, while gettin' some brain?
    • 2012, Mack Maine featuring Turk and Mystikal, I'm On It:
      You said I got brain from your dame in the range / In the passing lane / But you really ain't got no proof
    • 2018, “Squidrific”, performed by SahBabii:
      She giving brain / She eat the dick up like some M&Ms
  7. (informal) Mind.
    I have too much on my brain today.
  8. A loose compartment of a backpack that straps on over the top opening.

Alternative forms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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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

See also

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Verb

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brain (third-person singular simple present brains, present participle braining, simple past and past participle brained)

  1. (transitive) To dash out the brains of; to kill by smashing the skull.
  2. (transitive, slang) To strike (someone) on the head.
  3. (transitive, figurative) To destroy; to put an end to.
  4. (transitive, obsolete) To conceive in the mind; to understand.

Quotations

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Translations

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Further reading

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Anagrams

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Irish

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Noun

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brain m

  1. inflection of bran:
    1. vocative/genitive singular
    2. nominative/dative plural

Mutation

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Mutated forms of brain
radical lenition eclipsis
brain bhrain mbrain

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Modern Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Middle English

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Noun

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brain

  1. Alternative form of brayn

Old Irish

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Alternative forms

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Pronunciation

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Noun

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brain m

  1. inflection of bran:
    1. vocative/genitive singular
    2. nominative plural

Mutation

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Mutation of brain
radical lenition nasalization
brain brain
pronounced with /β(ʲ)-/ 		mbrain

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in Old Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Welsh

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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Noun

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brain m pl

  1. plural of brân (“crow”)

Etymology 2

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Noun

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brain m or f (plural breiniau or breinau or breinioedd or breinion)

  1. Alternative form of braint (“honour”)

Mutation

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Mutated forms of brain
radical soft nasal aspirate
brain frain mrain unchanged

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Welsh.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

References

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  • R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “brain”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies
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