~ 1
■ noun
1》 an implement with a handle and a block of bristles, hair, or wire, used for cleaning, smoothing, or painting.
↘an act of ~ing.
2》 a slight and fleeting touch.
↘a brief encounter with something bad or unwelcome: a ~ with death.
3》 the bushy tail of a fox.
4》 (usu. ~es ) a drumstick with long wire bristles, used to make a soft hissing sound.
5》 a piece of carbon or metal serving as an electrical contact with a moving part in a motor or alternator.
6》 Austral./NZ informal girls or women regarded sexually.
■ verb
1》 clean, smooth, or apply with a ~.
2》 touch or push lightly and gently.
3》 ( ~ someone/thing off ) dismiss someone or something in an abrupt, contemptuous way.
4》 ( ~ up on or ~ something up ) work to regain a previously learned skill.
Derivatives
~less adjective ( chiefly technical ).
~y adjective
Origin
ME: noun from OFr. broisse ; verb partly from OFr. brosser 'to sweep'.
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~ 2
■ noun chiefly N. Amer. & Austral./NZ undergrowth, small trees, and shrubs.
↘ N. Amer. cut ~wood.
↘ Austral./NZ dense forest.
Origin
ME: from OFr. broce , perh. based on L. bruscum , denoting an excrescence on a maple.