Brigadier general [ French brigadier , from brigade .] (Mil.) An officer in rank next above a colonel, and below a major general. He commands a brigade, and is sometimes called, by a shortening of his title, simple a brigadier .

Brigand (brĭg" a nd) noun [ French brigand , Old French brigant light-armed soldier, from Late Latin brigans light-armed soldier (cf. Italian brigante .) from brigare to strive, contend, from briga quarrel; probably of German origin, and akin to English break ; confer Goth. brikan to break, brakja strife. Confer Brigue .]
1. A light-armed, irregular foot soldier. [ Obsolete]

2. A lawless fellow who lives by plunder; one of a band of robbers; especially, one of a gang living in mountain retreats; a highwayman; a freebooter.

Giving them not a little the air of brigands or banditti.
Jeffery.

Brigandage (-aj) noun [ French brigandage .] Life and practice of brigands; highway robbery; plunder.

Brigandine noun [ French brigandine (cf. Italian brigantina ), from Old French brigant . See Brigand .] A coast of armor for the body, consisting of scales or plates, sometimes overlapping each other, generally of metal, and sewed to linen or other material. It was worn in the Middle Ages. [ Written also brigantine .] Jer. xlvi. 4.

Then put on all thy gorgeous arms, thy helmet,
And brigandine of brass.
Milton.

Brigandish adjective Like a brigand or freebooter; robberlike.

Brigandism noun Brigandage.

Brigantine noun [ French brigantin , from Italian brigantino , originally, a practical vessel. See Brigand , and confer Brig ]
1. A practical vessel. [ Obsolete]

2. A two-masted, square-rigged vessel, differing from a brig in that she does not carry a square mainsail.

3. See Brigandine .

Brigge noun A bridge. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Bright intransitive verb See Brite , intransitive verb

Bright adjective [ Middle English briht , Anglo-Saxon beorht , briht ; akin to Old Saxon berht , Old High German beraht , Icelandic bjartr , Goth. baírhts . √94.]
1. Radiating or reflecting light; shedding or having much light; shining; luminous; not dark.

The sun was bright o'erhead.
Longfellow.

The earth was dark, but the heavens were bright .
Drake.

The public places were as bright as at noonday.
Macaulay.

2. Transmitting light; clear; transparent.

From the brightest wines
He 'd turn abhorrent.
Thomson.

3. Having qualities that render conspicuous or attractive, or that affect the mind as light does the eye; resplendent with charms; as, bright beauty.

Bright as an angel new-dropped from the sky.
Parnell.

4. Having a clear, quick intellect; intelligent.

5. Sparkling with wit; lively; vivacious; shedding cheerfulness and joy around; cheerful; cheery.

Be bright and jovial among your guests.
Shak.

6. Illustrious; glorious.

In the brightest annals of a female reign.
Cotton.

7. Manifest to the mind, as light is to the eyes; clear; evident; plain.

That he may with more ease, with brighter evidence, and with surer success, draw the bearner on.
I. Watts.

8. Of brilliant color; of lively hue or appearance.

Here the bright crocus and blue violet grew.
Pope.

» Bright is used in composition in the sense of brilliant, clear, sunny, etc.; as, bright -eyed, bright -haired, bright -hued.

Syn. -- Shining; splending; luminous; lustrous; brilliant; resplendent; effulgent; refulgent; radiant; sparkling; glittering; lucid; beamy; clear; transparent; illustrious; witty; clear; vivacious; sunny.

Bright noun Splendor; brightness. [ Poetic]

Dark with excessive bright thy skirts appear.
Milton.

Bright adverb Brightly. Chaucer.

I say it is the moon that shines so bright .
Shak.

Bright-harnessed adjective Having glittering armor. [ Poetic] Milton.

Bright's disease [ From Dr. Bright of London, who first described it.] (Medicine) An affection of the kidneys, usually inflammatory in character, and distinguished by the occurrence of albumin and renal casts in the urine. Several varieties of Bright's disease are now recognized, differing in the part of the kidney involved, and in the intensity and course of the morbid process.

Brighten transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Brightened ; present participle & verbal noun Brightening .] [ From Bright , adjective ]
1. To make bright or brighter; to make to shine; to increase the luster of; to give a brighter hue to.

2. To make illustrious, or more distinguished; to add luster or splendor to.

The present queen would brighten her character, if she would exert her authority to instill virtues into her people.
Swift.

3. To improve or relieve by dispelling gloom or removing that which obscures and darkens; to shed light upon; to make cheerful; as, to brighten one's prospects.

An ecstasy, which mothers only feel,
Plays round my heart and brightens all my sorrow.
Philips.

4. To make acute or witty; to enliven. Johnson.

Brighten intransitive verb [ Anglo-Saxon beorhtan .] To grow bright, or more bright; to become less dark or gloomy; to clear up; to become bright or cheerful.

And night shall brighten into day.
N. Cotton.

And, all his prospects brightening to the last,
His heaven commences ere world be past.
Goldsmith.

Brightly adverb
1. Brilliantly; splendidly; with luster; as, brightly shining armor.

2. With lively intelligence; intelligently.

Looking brightly into the mother's face.
Hawthorne.

Brightness noun [ Anglo-Saxon beorhines . See Bright .]
1. The quality or state of being bright; splendor; luster; brilliancy; clearness.

A sudden brightness in his face appear.
Crabbe.

2. Acuteness (of the faculties); sharpness 9wit.

The brightness of his parts . . . distinguished him.
Prior.

Syn. -- Splendor; luster; radiance; resplendence; brilliancy; effulgence; glory; clearness.

Brightsome adjective Bright; clear; luminous; brilliant. [ R.] Marlowe.

Brigose adjective [ Late Latin brigosus , Italian brigoso . See Brigue , noun ] Contentious; quarrelsome. [ Obsolete] Puller.

Brigue noun [ French brigue , from Late Latin briga quarrel. See Brigand .] A cabal, intrigue, faction, contention, strife, or quarrel. [ Obsolete] Chesterfield.

Brigue intransitive verb [ French briguer . See Brigue , noun ] To contend for; to canvass; to solicit. [ Obsolete] Bp. Hurd.

Brike noun [ Anglo-Saxon brice .] A breach; ruin; downfall; peril. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Brill (brĭl) noun [ Confer Corn. brilli mackerel, from brith streaked, speckled.] (Zoology) A fish allied to the turbot ( Rhombus levis ), much esteemed in England for food; -- called also bret , pearl , prill . See Bret .

Brillante adverb [ Italian See Brilliant , adjective ] (Mus.) In a gay, showy, and sparkling style.

Brilliance (brĭl"y a n*s) noun Brilliancy. Tennyson.

Brilliancy (brĭl"y a n*sȳ) noun [ See Brilliant .] The quality of being brilliant; splendor; glitter; great brightness, whether in a literal or figurative sense.

With many readers brilliancy of style passes for affluence of thought.
Longfellow.

Brilliant (brĭl"y a nt) adjective [ French brillant , present participle of briller to shine or sparkle (cf. Pr. & Spanish brillar , Italian brillare ), from Latin beryllus a precious stone of sea-green color, Prov. Italian brill . See Beryl .]
1. Sparkling with luster; glittering; very bright; as, a brilliant star.

2. Distinguished by qualities which excite admiration; splendid; shining; as, brilliant talents.

Washington was more solicitous to avoid fatal mistakes than to perform brilliant exploits.
Fisher Ames.

Syn. -- See Shining .

Brilliant noun [ French brillant . See Brilliant , adjective ]
1. A diamond or other gem of the finest cut, formed into faces and facets, so as to reflect and refract the light, by which it is rendered more brilliant. It has at the middle, or top, a principal face, called the table , which is surrounded by a number of sloping facets forming a bizet ; below, it has a small face or collet , parallel to the table, connected with the girdle by a pavilion of elongated facets. It is thus distinguished from the rose diamond, which is entirely covered with facets on the surface, and is flat below.

This snuffbox -- on the hinge see brilliants shine.
Pope.

2. (Print.) The smallest size of type used in England printing.

» This line is printed in the type called Brilliant.

3. A kind of cotton goods, figured on the weaving.

Brilliantine noun [ French brillantine . See lst Brilliant .]
1. An oily composition used to make the hair glossy.

2. A dress fabric having a glossy finish on both sides, resembling alpaca but of superior quality.

Brilliantly adverb In a brilliant manner.

Brilliantness noun Brilliancy; splendor; glitter.

Brills noun plural [ CF. German brille spectacles, Dutch bril , from Latin berillus . See Brilliant .] The hair on the eyelids of a horse. Bailey.

Brim noun [ Middle English brim , brimme , Anglo-Saxon brymme edge, border; akin to Icelandic barmr , Swedish bräm , Danish bræmme , German brame , bräme . Possibly the same word as Anglo-Saxon brim surge, sea, and properly meaning, the line of surf at the border of the sea, and akin to Latin fremere to roar, murmur. Confer Breeze a fly.]
1. The rim, border, or upper edge of a cup, dish, or any hollow vessel used for holding anything.

Saw I that insect on this goblet's brim
I would remove it with an anxious pity.
Coleridge.

2. The edge or margin, as of a fountain, or of the water contained in it; the brink; border.

The feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water.
Josh. iii. 15.

3. The rim of a hat. Wordsworth.

Brim intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Brimmed ; present participle & verbal noun Brimming .] To be full to the brim. "The brimming stream." Milton.

To brim over (literally or figuratively), to be so full that some of the contents flows over the brim; as, a cup brimming over with wine; a man brimming over with fun.

Brim transitive verb To fill to the brim, upper edge, or top.

Arrange the board and brim the glass.
Tennyson.

Brim adjective Fierce; sharp; cold. See Breme . [ Obsolete]

Brimful adjective Full to the brim; completely full; ready to overflow. "Her brimful eyes." Dryden.

Brimless adjective Having no brim; as, brimless caps.

Brimmed adjective
1. Having a brim; -- usually in composition. "Broad- brimmed hat." Spectator.

2. Full to, or level with, the brim. Milton.

Brimmer noun A brimful bowl; a bumper.

Brimming adjective Full to the brim; overflowing.

Brimstone noun [ Middle English brimston , bremston , bernston , brenston ; confer Icelandic brennistein . See Burn , transitive verb , and Stone .] Sulphur; See Sulphur .

Brimstone adjective Made of, or pertaining to, brimstone; as, brimstone matches.

From his brimstone bed at break of day
A-walking the devil has gone.
Coleridge.

Brimstony adjective Containing or resembling brimstone; sulphurous. B. Jonson.

Brin noun [ French] One of the radiating sticks of a fan. The outermost are larger and longer, and are called panaches . Knight.

Brinded adjective [ Confer Icelandic bröndōttr brindled, from brandr brand; and Middle English bernen , brinnen , to burn. See Brand , Burn .] Of a gray or tawny color with streaks of darker hue; streaked; brindled. "Three brinded cows," Dryden. "The brinded cat." Shak.

Brindle noun [ See Brindled .]
1. The state of being brindled.

2. A brindled color; also, that which is brindled.

Brindle adjective Brindled.

Brindled adjective [ A dim. form of brinded .] Having dark streaks or spots on a gray or tawny ground; brinded. "With a brindled lion played." Churchill.