brach

Originally in plural, from Old French brachez, plural of brachet, a diminutive of Occitan brac, from Frankish. Cognate to the German Bracke. More at brachet.

• IPA^(key): /bɹæt͡ʃ/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ætʃ

brach (plural brachs or braches)

1. (archaic) A hound; especially a female hound used for hunting, a bitch hound.
   • c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, , lines 109-111:

     FOOL: Truth's a dog that must to kennel; he must be whipped out, when Lady, the brach, may stand by the fire and stink.

   • c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     Mastiffe, Grey-hound, Mongrill, Grim, / Hound or Spaniell, Brache, or Hym […] .

   • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: , 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC:
     , NYRB 2001, vol.1 p.331:

     A sow-pig by chance sucked a brach, and when she was grown, “would miraculously hunt all manner of deer, and that as well, or rather better than any ordinary hound.”

2. (archaic, derogatory) A despicable or disagreeable woman.
   • 1847 December, Ellis Bell [pseudonym; Emily Brontë], Wuthering Heights: , volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Thomas Cautley Newby, , →OCLC:

     Now, was it not the depth of absurdity—of genuine idiotcy, for that pitiful, slavish, mean-minded brach to dream that I could love her?

• bitch

• brachet

Clipping of brachiopod.

• IPA^(key): /bɹæk/
• Rhymes: -æk

brach (plural brachs)

1. (paleontology, informal) brachiopod

• B.Arch., Barch

Inherited from Old Czech brach. By surface analysis, bratr (“brother”) +‎ -ch.

• IPA^(key):
• Hyphenation: brach

brach m anim

1. (colloquial) bro
2. (colloquial) guy

• “brach”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “brach”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “brach”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech)

• IPA^(key): /braːx/,

• Audio:

  (file)

Backformation from brachliegen, from in Brache liegen, from the noun Brache (“fallow land, fallowness”). Cognate with Dutch braak. Related with brechen (etymology 2).

brach (strong nominative masculine singular bracher, not comparable)

1. fallow

   Synonyms: unbestellt, unbebaut

• Brachland

• Brache
• brachliegen (brach liegen)

brach

1. first/third-person singular preterite of brechen

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

brach m (genitive singular bracha)

1. pus
2. discharge from eyes during sleep

• brachaí (“bleary”, adjective) (of eyes)
• brachshúileach (“blear-eyed”, adjective)

brach f (genitive singular braiche)

1. Alternative form of braich (“malt”)

brach (present analytic brachann, future analytic brachfaidh, verbal noun brachadh, past participle brachta)

1. (transitive, intransitive) Alternative form of braich (“malt”)

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “brach”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN

From bratr +‎ -ch.

• IPA^(key): (13^th CE) /ˈbrax/
• IPA^(key): (15^th CE) /ˈbrax/

brach m pers

1. diminutive of bratr
2. brother
3. friend
4. lover

• Czech: brach

• Jan Gebauer (1903–1916) “brach”, in Slovník staročeský (in Czech), Prague: Česká grafická společnost "unie", Česká akademie císaře Františka Josefa pro vědy, slovesnost a umění

• IPA^(key): /ˈbrax/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ax
• Syllabification: brach

Clipping of brat + -ch.

brach m pers

1. (colloquial) bro (comrade or friend)

   Coordinate term: siora

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

brach m inan

1. locative plural of ber

   Synonym: berach

• brach in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• brach in Polish dictionaries at PWN