brain
/ˈbɹeɪ̯n/ noun, verb, proper noun
Forms brains braining brained brayne
- noun The control center of the central nervous system of an animal located in the skull, consisting of the cerebrum, cerebellum, and brainstem, which is responsible for perception, cognition, attention, memory, emotion, and action.
- noun A part of the brain, especially associated with particular mental functions, abilities, etc.
- noun (obsolete) skull; head
- noun (informal) Mind. “I have too much on my brain today.”
- noun (in the plural) Intellect. “She has a lot of brains.”
- noun (informal) An intelligent person. “She was a total brain.”
- noun (plural only) A person who provides the intelligence required for something. “He is the brains behind the scheme.”
- noun (in the singular) An intellectual or mental capacity. “Gerald always acts like he doesn't have a brain.”
- verb (transitive) To dash out the brains of; to kill by smashing the skull.
- verb (transitive) To strike (someone) on the head.
- verb (transitive, figurative) To destroy; to put an end to.
- verb (transitive, obsolete) To conceive in the mind; to understand.
- verb (intransitive, nonstandard, humorous) To think effectively. “My brain isn't braining right now.”
- proper noun A surname.
Synonyms
encephalon harns brain surgeon brainbox brainiac deep thinker Einstein egghead genius intellectual mind rocket scientist superbrain thinker brainpower learning ability mental capacity mentality wit head psyche nous mastermind
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English brayn, from Old English bræġn, from Proto-West Germanic *bragn, from Proto-Germanic *bragną, from Proto-Indo-European *mrógʰ-n̥ ~ *mrégʰ-n̥-s, from *mregʰ- + *-n̥.
Cognate with Scots braine, brane (“brain”), North Frisian brayen, brein, Brain (“brain”), Saterland Frisian Brainge, Bräienge (“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”).
From the Irish and Scottish Gaelic surname, from mac an Bhreitheamhan (“son of the judge”), from breitheamh (“judge”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun The whitish mass of soft matter (the center of the nervous system, and the seat of consciousness and volition) which is inclosed in the cartilaginous or bony cranium of vertebrate animals. It is simply the anterior termination of the spinal cord, and is developed from three embryonic vesicles, whose cavities are connected with the central canal of the cord; the cavities of the vesicles become the central cavities, or ventricles, and the walls thicken unequally and become the three segments, the fore-, mid-, and hind-brain.
- noun The anterior or cephalic ganglion in insects and other invertebrates.
- verb To dash out the brains of; to kill by beating out the brains.
- verb To conceive; to understand. [Obs.]
Etymology [OE. brain, brein, AS. bragen, brægen; akin to LG. brägen, bregen, D. brein, and perh. to Gr. 95.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “brain”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details