Middle English Dictionary Entry
brǒue n.
Entry Info
| Forms | brǒue n. Pl. brǒu(w)es, brǒus, broȝes, broes, brū(w)es, bruus & brǒuen, brūwen. |
| Etymology | OE brū, pl. brūwa. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) An eyebrow (the hair, or the hair with the ridge); ~ bon, the ridge of the eyebrow; broues bent, arched eyebrows; (b) brow, forehead.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 11 Pains(2) (LdMisc 108)p.36 : Some to heore brouwes stoden þer in, And some to þe mouþes.
- a1325 Gloss.Bibbesw.(Cmb Gg.1.1)56 : Amount les eus sunt les surcilz: browes.
- a1350 Bytuene mersh (Hrl 2253)14 : Hire browe broune, hire eȝe blake.
- a1350 Most i ryden (Hrl 2253)25 : Heo haþ browes bend an heh.
- a1350 Weping haueþ (Hrl 2253)39 : Brudes bryht wiþ browes broune.
- c1330 Roland & V.(Auch)480 : His browe as brestles wore.
- c1330 KTars (Auch)43/438 : Ther com an hounde Wiþ browes brod & hore.
- ?c1350 Ballad Sc.Wars (Jul A.5)23 : Brues lange..to five inches and mae.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mil.(Manly-Rickert)A.3245 : Ful smale ypulled were hir browes two, And tho were bent.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.1678 : Hire browes hyhe, Hire yhen smale.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)41b/b : Þe yȝeliddes & browes.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)42b/a : The browis ben I clepid supercilia, þe ouerliddes, for þey ben I sette a boue þe yȝeliddes.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)42b/b : Euen long browes with litil heer tokeneþ kowardnesse.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)99b/a : Ofte his here..falleþ of browes & of oþir place.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)8079 : Lang and side þair brues [vr. browes, broues] wern.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1694 : His browes bresed as breres aboute his brode chekes.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)961 : Noȝt watz bare of þat burde bot þe blake broȝes, þe tweyne yȝen and þe nase.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)305 : His rede yȝen he reled aboute, Bende his bresed broȝez blycande grene.
- c1400 Femina (Trin-C B.14.40)15 : Aboue þe eyez beþ þe browys.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)3548 : Ligurgus with his browes blake.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)5.813 : Save hire browes joyneden yfere, Ther nas no lak in aught I kan espien.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)861 : Bente were hir browis two.
- a1425-a1500(?c1350) Libeaus (Kaluza)940 : Her browes, as selke þrede, Y-bent in lengþe and brede.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)11b/a : The particles of þe face bene the front, þe browez, þe eien [etc.].
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)110b/b : Dilatacioun of þe superciliez i. browez.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)9683 : Many hath lorn eye & browe.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)14a/a : The browes [L supercilia] forsoþe beeþ fourmed to fairnesse and for þe eyȝen.
- (1442) Visit.Alnwick131 : We enioyne yowe..that your vayles come downe nyghe to your yene or your browes.
- c1450 Metham Physiog.(Gar 141)123 : Browys, qwan thei growe douneward to the eyn, thei betokyn an enuyus persone and a froward.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)10334 : Wyth hys browhes [vr. browys] fersly bente.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)3.214 : With grette browis y-bente and a berde eke.
- c1475 Wisd.(Folg V.a.354)p.35 : Wp-on hys hede, a cheweler with browys, a berde of golde.
- a1500 Mayer Nominale (Mayer)675 : Supercilium: a browbone.
b
- c1300 SLeg.Brendan (Hrl 2277:Wright)p.19 : A gret fisch hi seȝe..With his browen wel faste he schef.
- a1350 Of Rybaudȝ (Hrl 2253)45 : Sene is on is browe, ant on is eȝe brewe, þat he louseþ a losynger.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1457 : Bot þe poyntez payred at þe pyth þat pyȝt in his scheldez, & þe barbez of his browe bite non wolde.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)530 : And fond hym..With the staffys end hiȝe oppon his browe.
- c1475 Guy(4) (Cai 107/176)427/7699 : Vppon the heed he brake the browe.
- a1500(a1400) Ipom.(1) (Chet 8009)5838 : The blode thorow the browes braste.
2.
Of gestures of the eyebrows or the forehead expressing emotions or attitudes: alargen broues, benden ~, heven up ~, raise the eyebrows (as in anger, hostility); hongen ~, lower eyebrows (as in thought); frouncen ~, knit eyebrows, frown; ~ blisful, foul, cheerful, scowling appearance; ~ blakken, eyebrows grow somber, frown, etc.
Associated quotations
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)22283 : Þer wes moni bald Brut þe hafde beres leches; heouen up heore bruwen, i-burst an heore þonke.
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)18374 : Þo heng he his brouwes [Clg: breowen] a-dun, Vther Pendragon.
- a1350 Ichot a burde in boure (Hrl 2253)19 : Wiþ lossom eye grete ant gode, wiþ browen blysfol vnder hode.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)1954 : Þe Amyral bende ys browes rowe.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.9 : As enemyes, whette her tunges and bende hire browes [L supercilia arcuarent].
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.1589 : With that sche frounceth up the browe.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)17430 : Wit þis word scomed þan þe Iuus; To blacken þan bigan þair brous [vrr. browis, bruus].
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)2306 : Þenne tas he hym stryþe to stryke, And frounses boþe lyppe and browe.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.2555 : Þer-vppon, with his browes fowle, In þe brawnchis I sawe sitte an owle.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)1.204 : And with that word he gan caste up the browe Ascaunces.
- c1440(a1400) Awntyrs Arth.(Thrn)144 : Bryghttere of browes Than Beryke or Brangwayne, the byrdis so balde.
- c1440(?a1400) Perceval (Thrn)688 : Now sone of þat sall wee see Whose browes schall blakke.
- a1450(a1387) PPl.A(2) (RwlPoet 137)12.12 : Skornfully þo scripture [set vp here] browes.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)115 : J strecche my nekke and heve up the browen.
- c1425(a1400) Wycl.Conf.(Dub 245)341 : Pharesees alargen her browes and gogelen fer fro goddis lawe.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.B.2343 : Depart..not with frownyng visage and browes bent.
3.
Eyelid.
Associated quotations
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)213 : At drinche..Þere beð..idele lehtres and winrede bruwes.
- a1400 NVPsalter (Vsp D.7)10.5 : His brwes [L palpebrae] askes mennes sones.
- a1400 NVPsalter (Vsp D.7)131.4 : Ife i gife to mine eghen slapinge And to mi browes [L palpebris] nappinge.
- a1400 Recipe MS Hal.in Rel.Ant.1 (Hal 335)54 : His broues hildes doune, the lefte eigh more than the ryght ye.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)817 : Þan bygynnes his frount dounward falle, And his browes heldes doun wyth-alle.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)5a/a : Of woundes of the palpebrez i. eye lides or browez.
4.
(a) The brow (of a hill), an acclivity; (b) in names [see also Smith PNElem. 1.53].
Associated quotations
a
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)1657 : At brigge, or hard passage, or hillis browe Is good to falle vppon.
- a1500(?a1400) Torrent (Chet 8009)654 : Bacward than be a browȝ..he gard hyme goo; Thus erthe on hym he wane.
b
- (1297-8) Let.Bk.Lond.B (Gldh LetBk B)67 : Reymund de la Browe.
- (1304-5) Let.Bk.Lond.C (Gldh LetBk C)141 : Remund de la Brue.
- (1307) Pat.R.Edw.II25 : Reymond de la Browe.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. brow.