Compare Gaelic brangus, brangas, a sort of pillory, Irish brancas, halter, or Dutch pranger, fetter.
brank (plural branks)
(usually, in the plural) A metal bridle formerly used as a torture device to hold the head of a scold and restrain the tongue
(obsolete, UK, Scotland, dialect, usually, in the plural) A sort of bridle with wooden side pieces.
brank (third-person singular simple present branks, present participle branking, simple past and past participle branked)
To put someone in the branks
(UK, Scotland, dialect) To hold up and toss the head; applied to horses as spurning the bit.
(Scotland) To prance; to caper.
brank (uncountable)
(UK, dialect) buckwheat
• Bankr., bankr.
Source: Wiktionary
Brank, n. Etym: [Prov. of Celtic origin; cf. L. brance, brace, the Gallic name of a particularly white kind of corn.]
Definition: Buckwheat. [Local, Eng.] Halliwell.
Brank, Branks, n. Etym: [Cf. Gael. brangus, brangas, a sort of pillory, Ir. brancas halter, or D. pranger fetter.]
1. A sort of bridle with wooden side pieces. [Scot. & Prov. Eng.] Jamieson.
2. A scolding bridle, an instrument formerly used for correcting scolding women. It was an iron frame surrounding the head and having a triangular piece entering the mouth of the scold.
Brank, v. i.
1. To hold up and toss the head; -- applied to horses as spurning the bit. [Scot. & Prov. Eng.]
2. To prance; to caper. [Scot.] Jamieson.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
23 December 2024
(noun) Australian tree having hard white timber and glossy green leaves with white flowers followed by one-seeded glossy blue fruit
International Coffee Day (September 29) is an occasion to promote and celebrate coffee as a beverage, with events occurring in places across the world. A day to promote fair trade coffee and raise awareness for the coffee growers’ plight. Other countries celebrate this event on October 1.
