Bray | Webster's Dictionary (1865)

Brāy, v. t.

verbtransitive

v. t. [imp. & p. p. BRAYED; p. pr. & vb. n. BRAYING.] [O. Fr. brayer, breier, N. Fr. broyer, to pound, grind, Pr. breyer, to rub; Icel. braka, to break, braka, to crack, A-S. bracan, to rub.] 1. To pound, beat, or grind small. Though thou shouldst bray a fool in a mortar . . . yet will not his foolishness depart from him. Prov. xxvii. 22. 2. [See BRAY, v. i.] To make or utter with a harsh, grating sound. Arms on armor clashing, brayed Horrible discord. Milton. And varying notes the war pipes brayed. W. Scott.

Brāy, v. i.

verbintransitive

v. i. [Fr. braire, to bray, Norm. Fr. brair, O. Fr. & Pr. braire, to cry, sing, L. Lat. bragire, to whinny, bragare, to squall. Cf. BRAG.] 1. To utter a harsh cry, as an ass. Laugh, and they Return it louder than an ass can bray. Dryden. 2. To make a harsh, grating noise. Heard ye the din of battle bray? Gray.

Brāy, n.

noun

n. The harsh sound or roar of an ass; any harsh, grating sound. “The bray and roar of multitudinous London.” Gerrald.

Brāy, n.

noun

n. [O. Eng. braje, Scot. bra, brae, bray, the side of a hill, acclivity, bank, hill, cliff, the upper part of a country, Gael. braig, braighe, the upper part of any thing, the top of a mountain, brigh, bri, bre, hill, headland, W. brig, top, summit, brigant, highlander, depredator, bre, hill, mount, peak.] 1. A bank or mound of earth. [Obs.] Herbert.

[Scottish brae.] Shelving ground; a declivity or slope of a hill. Fairfax.
A strong tower or blockhouse in the outworks of a fortification before the port;—called also the spur. [Obs.] Nares.