noun
1.
a mark (˘) over a vowel to show that it is short, or to indicate a specific pronunciation, as ŭ in (kŭt) cut.
2.
Law.
a.
an initial writ.
b.
a writ, as one issued by a court of law.
3.
Music.
a.
the longest modern note, equivalent to two semibreves or whole notes. See illus. under note.
b.
Also, brevis. a note in medieval mensural notation equal to one-half or one-third of a longa.
4.
Prosody. a mark (˘) over a syllable to show that it is not stressed.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To breve
00:10
Breve
is always a great word to know.
So is ort. Does it mean:
| a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc. |
| a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
breve (briːv) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | an accent, (˘), placed over a vowel to indicate that it is of short duration or is pronounced in a specified way |
| 2. | music a note, now rarely used, equivalent in time value to two semibreves |
| 3. | RC Church a less common word for brief |
| [C13: from Medieval Latin breve, from Latin brevis short; see | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
breve
mid-15c., musical notation indicating two whole notes, from L. breve (adj.) "short" in space or time (see brief). The grammatical curved line placed over a vowel to indicate "shortness" (1540s) is from the same source.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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