BRAY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does bray mean? 

• BRAY (noun)
  The noun BRAY has 1 sense:

1. the cry of an ass

  Familiarity information: BRAY used as a noun is very rare.

• BRAY (verb)
  The verb BRAY has 3 senses:

1. braying characteristic of donkeys

2. reduce to small pieces or particles by pounding or abrading

3. laugh loudly and harshly

  Familiarity information: BRAY used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BRAY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The cry of an ass

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Hypernyms ("bray" is a kind of...):

cry (the characteristic utterance of an animal)

Derivation:

bray (laugh loudly and harshly)

bray (braying characteristic of donkeys)

• BRAY (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they bray    ... he / she / it brays   
Past simple: brayed   
Past participle: brayed   
-ing form: braying   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Braying characteristic of donkeys

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

bray; hee-haw

Hypernyms (to "bray" is one way to...):

emit; let loose; let out; utter (express audibly; utter sounds (not necessarily words))

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

bray (the cry of an ass)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Reduce to small pieces or particles by pounding or abrading

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

bray; comminute; crunch; grind; mash

Context example:

mash the garlic

Hypernyms (to "bray" is one way to...):

break up; fragment; fragmentise; fragmentize (break or cause to break into pieces)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "bray"):

pulp (reduce to pulp)

pestle (grind, mash or pulverize in a mortar)

mill (grind with a mill)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 3

Meaning:

Laugh loudly and harshly

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Hypernyms (to "bray" is one way to...):

express joy; express mirth; laugh (produce laughter)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

bray (the cry of an ass)

 Context examples 

So she ate of it, and like the others ran off into the court braying away.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

He took notice of a general tradition, that Yahoos had not been always in their country; but that many ages ago, two of these brutes appeared together upon a mountain; whether produced by the heat of the sun upon corrupted mud and slime, or from the ooze and froth of the sea, was never known; that these Yahoos engendered, and their brood, in a short time, grew so numerous as to overrun and infest the whole nation; that the Houyhnhnms, to get rid of this evil, made a general hunting, and at last enclosed the whole herd; and destroying the elder, every Houyhnhnm kept two young ones in a kennel, and brought them to such a degree of tameness, as an animal, so savage by nature, can be capable of acquiring, using them for draught and carriage; that there seemed to be much truth in this tradition, and that those creatures could not be yinhniamshy (or aborigines of the land), because of the violent hatred the Houyhnhnms, as well as all other animals, bore them, which, although their evil disposition sufficiently deserved, could never have arrived at so high a degree if they had been aborigines, or else they would have long since been rooted out; that the inhabitants, taking a fancy to use the service of the Yahoos, had, very imprudently, neglected to cultivate the breed of asses, which are a comely animal, easily kept, more tame and orderly, without any offensive smell, strong enough for labour, although they yield to the other in agility of body, and if their braying be no agreeable sound, it is far preferable to the horrible howlings of the Yahoos.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

Then the witch herself took it into the kitchen to be dressed; and when it was ready she could not wait till it was carried up, but took a few leaves immediately and put them in her mouth, and scarcely were they swallowed when she lost her own form and ran braying down into the court in the form of an ass.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

The ass brayed, the dog barked, the cat mewed, and the cock screamed; and then they all broke through the window at once, and came tumbling into the room, amongst the broken glass, with a most hideous clatter!

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)