n. & adj.
n. 1 a a brutal or violent person or animal. b colloq. an unpleasant person. 2 an animal as opposed to a human being.
adj. 1 not possessing the capacity to reason. 2 a animal-like, cruel. b stupid, sensual. 3 unthinking, merely material (brute force; brute matter). brutehood n. brutish adj. brutishly adv. brutishness n.
[ F f. L brutus stupid ]