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brethren

 - 7 dictionary results

breth⋅ren

  [breth-rin]
Use brethren in a Sentence
–plural noun
1. fellow members.
2. Archaic. brothers.
Synonyms:
1, 2. See brother.

broth⋅er

  [bruhth-er or, for 9, bruhth-ur] noun, plural brothers, (Archaic) brethren; interjection
–noun
1. a male offspring having both parents in common with another offspring; a male sibling.
2. Also called half brother. a male offspring having only one parent in common with another offspring.
3. a stepbrother.
4. a male numbered among the same kinship group, nationality, race, profession, etc., as another; an associate; a fellow member, fellow countryman, fellow man, etc.: a fraternity brother.
5. Ecclesiastical.
a. (often initial capital letter) a male numbered among the lay members of a religious organization that has a priesthood.
b. a man who devotes himself to the duties of a religious order without taking holy orders, or while preparing for holy orders.
6. brothers, all members of a particular race, or of the human race in general: All men are brothers.
7. Slang. fellow; buddy: Brother, can you spare a dime?
8. Informal. a black man; soul brother.
–interjection
9. Slang. (used to express disappointment, disgust, or surprise).
Origin:
bef. 1000; ME; OE brōthor; c. D broeder, G Bruder, ON brōthir, Goth brothar, Skt bhrātṛ, Gk phrtēr, L frāter, OIr bráthair, OCS bratrŭ

Related forms:
broth⋅er⋅less, adjective
broth⋅er⋅like, adjective

Synonyms:
1. Brothers, brethren are plurals of brother. Brothers are kinsmen, sons of the same parents: My mother lives with my brothers. Brethren, now archaic in the foregoing sense, is used of male members of a congregation or of a fraternal organization: The brethren will meet at the church.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To brethren
breth·ren   (brěth'rən)   
n.  A plural of brother.
broth·er   (brŭth'ər)   
n.   pl. broth·ers

  1. A male having the same parents as another or one parent in common with another.

  2. pl. also breth·ren (brěth'rən) One who shares a common ancestry, allegiance, character, or purpose with another or others, especially:

    1. A kinsman.

    2. A fellow man.

    3. A fellow member, as of a fraternity, trade union, or panel of judges on a court.

    4. A close male friend; a comrade.

    5. A fellow African-American man or boy.

    6. Abbr. Br. or Bro. A member of a men's religious order who is not in holy orders but engages in the work of the order.

    7. A lay member of a religious order of men.

    8. pl. also brethren A fellow member of the Christian church.

  3. pl. also brethren Something, such as a corporation or institution, that is regarded as a member of a class: "A station that ... relies on corporate contributions or advertising to survive runs the risk of becoming virtually indistinguishable from its commercial brethren" (W. John Moore).

    1. Abbr. Br. or Bro. A member of a men's religious order who is not in holy orders but engages in the work of the order.

    2. A lay member of a religious order of men.

    3. pl. also brethren A fellow member of the Christian church.


[Middle English, from Old English brōthor; see bhrāter- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary
(soul) brother

  1. n.
    a black person's male, black friend. : Another brother took a fall last night.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Word Origin & History

brother 
O.E. broþor, from P.Gmc. *brothar, from PIE base *bhrater (cf. Gk. phratér, L. frater, O.Ir. brathir, Skt. bhrátár-, O.Pers. brata, Goth. bróþar, O.Prus. brati, O.C.S. bratru "brother"). As a familiar term of address from one man to another, it is attested from 1912 in U.S. slang; the specific use among blacks is recorded from 1973. Alternate pl. brethren was predominant c.1200-1600s, but survived only in religious usage. Colloquial shortening bro is attested from 1666. Brotherhood is M.E. broiþerhede (c.1300). In Arabic, Urdu, Swahili, etc., brother-in-law, when addressed to a male who is not a brother-in-law, is an extreme insult, with implications of "I slept with your sister."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia

Brethren

group of Protestant churches that trace their origin to Schwarzenau, Hesse, where in 1708 a group of seven persons under the leadership of Alexander Mack (1679-1735) formed a brotherhood dedicated to following the commandments of Jesus Christ. The brotherhood was shaped by three influences-the Protestant faith in which its organizers had been raised, the Pietist reform movement, and Anabaptist teachings from the 16th century.

Learn more about Brethren with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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