/ brɪg; NAmE / noun
1.
a ship with two masts (= posts that support the sails) and square sails
2.
( NAmE ) a prison, especially one on a warship
••
WORD ORIGIN
early 18th cent.: abbreviation of brigantine (the original sense).
/ brɪg; NAmE / noun
1.
a ship with two masts (= posts that support the sails) and square sails
2.
( NAmE ) a prison, especially one on a warship
••
WORD ORIGIN
early 18th cent.: abbreviation of brigantine (the original sense).
Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary. Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне. 2005