BRIAR

I. noun also brier Etymology: Middle English brere, from Old English brēr Date: 15th century a plant (as a rose, blackberry, or greenbrier) having a usually woody and thorny or prickly stem, ~y adjective II. noun Etymology: short for ~ pipe, from ~ wood of the European heath, from French bruyère heath, from Middle French bruiere, from Vulgar Latin *brucaria, from Late Latin brucus heather, of Celtic origin; akin to Old Irish froech heather; akin to Greek ereikē heather Date: 1882 a tobacco pipe made from the root or stem of a European heath ( Erica arborea )