briefs, Jockey shorts
(noun) (used in the plural) short tight-fitting underpants (trade name Jockey shorts)
Source: WordNet® 3.1
briefs
plural of brief
(usually in the plural) A short, close-fitting type of underpants.
Despite being a single item of clothing, briefs—like pants, trousers, underpants—are considered to come in "pairs" and are counted using the phrase "pair(s) of".
• See underwear
briefs
Third-person singular simple present indicative form of brief
• FBIers, fibers, fibres
Source: Wiktionary
Brief, a. Etym: [OE. bref, F. brief, bref, fr. L. brevis; akin to Gr. barh to tear. Cf. Breve.]
1. Short in duration. How brief the life of man. Shak.
2. Concise; terse; succinct. The brief style is that which expresseth much in little. B. Jonson.
3. Rife; common; prevalent. [Prov. Eng.] In brief. See under Brief, n.
Syn.
– Short; concise; succinct; summary; compendious; condensed; terse; curt; transistory; short-lived.
Brief, adv.
1. Briefly. [Obs. or Poetic] Adam, faltering long, thus answered brief. Milton.
2. Soon; quickly. [Obs.] Shak.
Brief, n. Etym: [See Brief, a., and cf. Breve.]
1. A short concise writing or letter; a statement in few words. Bear this sealed brief, With winged hastle, to the lord marshal. Shak. And she told me In a sweet, verbal brief. Shak.
2. An epitome. Each woman is a brief of womankind. Overbury.
3. (Law)
Definition: An abridgment or concise statement of a client's case, made out for the instruction of counsel in a trial at law. This word is applied also to a statement of the heads or points of a law argument. It was not without some reference to it that I perused many a brief. Sir J. Stephen.
Note: In England, the brief is prepared by the attorney; in the United States, counsel generally make up their own briefs.
4. (Law)
Definition: A writ; a breve. See Breve, n., 2.
5. (Scots Law)
Definition: A writ issuing from the chancery, directed to any judge ordinary, commanding and authorizing that judge to call a jury to inquire into the case, and upon their verdict to pronounce sentence.
6. A letter patent, from proper authority, authorizing a collection or charitable contribution of money in churches, for any public or private purpose. [Eng.] Apostolical brief, a letter of the pope written on fine parchment in modern characters, subscribed by the secretary of briefs, dated "a die Nativitatis," i. e., "from the day of the Nativity," and sealed with the ring of the fisherman. It differs from a bull, in its parchment, written character, date, and seal. See Bull.
– Brief of title, an abstract or abridgment of all the deeds and other papers constituting the chain of title to any real estate.
– In brief, in a few words; in short; briefly. "Open the matter in brief." Shak.
Brief, v. t.
Definition: To make an abstract or abridgment of; to shorten; as, to brief pleadings.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
23 November 2024
(adjective) concerned primarily with theories or hypotheses rather than practical considerations; “theoretical science”
The first coffee-house in Mecca dates back to the 1510s. The beverage was in Turkey by the 1530s. It appeared in Europe circa 1515-1519 and was introduced to England by 1650. By 1675 the country had more than 3,000 coffee houses, and coffee had replaced beer as a breakfast drink.
