bray
bray Lexical Profile
bray Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To utter a loud, harsh, grating cry (typically of a donkey or mule).
"The mules began to bray loudly as the supply wagon approached the camp."
To speak, laugh, or sound in a loud, harsh, and unpleasant manner.
"Critics complained that the host tended to bray over his guests during interviews."
To crush, pound, or grind a substance into small particles or powder, typically in a mortar (archaic or dialectal).
"The apothecary used a heavy pestle to bray the dried herbs into a fine powder."
• noun
The loud, harsh cry of a donkey or mule, or any similar grating, trumpet-like sound or laugh.
"The sudden bray of the donkey echoed across the quiet valley."
• Rhymes for bray
Word Origin & Etymology
The sound-related sense derives from Middle English brayen, borrowed from Old French braire ('to cry out'), probably of Celtic origin. The crushing sense comes separately from Old French breier ('to pound or crush'), of Germanic origin.