v.tr. (past and past part. brought)
1. a come conveying esp. by carrying or leading. b come with.
2 cause to come or be present (what brings you here?).
3 cause or result in (war brings misery).
4 be sold for; produce as income.
5 a prefer (a charge). b initiate (legal action).
6 cause to become or to reach a particular state (brings me alive; brought them to their senses; cannot bring myself to agree).
7 adduce (evidence, an argument, etc.).
Phrases and idioms:
bring about
1. cause to happen.
2 turn (a ship) around. bring-and-buy sale Brit. a kind of charity sale at which participants bring items for sale and buy what is brought by others. bring back call to mind.
bring down
1. cause to fall.
2 lower (a price).
3 sl. make unhappy or less happy.
4 colloq. damage the reputation of; demean.
bring forth
1. give birth to.
2 produce, emit, cause.
bring forward
1. move to an earlier date or time.
2 transfer from the previous page or account.
3 draw attention to; adduce. bring home to cause to realize fully (brought home to me that I was wrong). bring the house down receive rapturous applause.
bring in
1. introduce (legislation, a custom, fashion, topic, etc.).
2 yield as income or profit. bring into play cause to operate; activate. bring low overcome. bring off achieve successfully. bring on 1 cause to happen or appear.
2 accelerate the progress of.
bring out
1. emphasize; make evident.
2 publish. bring over convert to one's own side.
bring round
1. restore to consciousness.
2 persuade. bring through aid (a person) through adversity, esp. illness.
bring to
1. restore to consciousness (brought him to).
2 check the motion of. bring to bear (usu. foll. by on) direct and concentrate (forces). bring to mind recall; cause one to remember. bring to pass cause to happen. bring under subdue.
bring up
1. rear (a child).
2 vomit, regurgitate.
3 call attention to.
4 (absol.) stop suddenly. bring upon oneself be responsible for (something one suffers).
Derivatives:
bringer n.
Etymology: OE bringan f. Gmc