Nearby Words

briefer

[breef] Origin

brief

[breef] adjective, -er, -est, noun, verb
adjective
1.
lasting or taking a short time; of short duration: a brief walk; a brief stay in the country.
2.
using few words; concise; succinct: a brief report on weather conditions.
3.
abrupt or curt.
4.
scanty: a brief bathing suit.
noun
5.
a short and concise statement or written item.
6.
an outline, the form of which is determined by set rules, of all the possible arguments and information on one side of a controversy: a debater's brief.
7.
Law.
a.
a writ summoning one to answer to any action.
b.
a memorandum of points of fact or of law for use in conducting a case.
c.
a written argument submitted to a court.
d.
(in England) the material relevant to a case, delivered by a solicitor to the barrister who tries the case.
8.
an outline, summary, or synopsis, as of a book.
9.
briefs, (used with a plural verb) close-fitting, legless underpants with an elastic waistband.
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11.
Roman Catholic Church. a papal letter less formal than a bull, sealed with the pope's signet ring or stamped with the device borne on this ring.
12.
British Theater. a free ticket; pass.
13.
Obsolete. a letter.
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Briefer is always a great word to know.
So is gobo. Does it mean:
a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.
a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.
verb (used with object)
14.
to make an abstract or summary of.
15.
to instruct by a brief or briefing: They brief all the agents before assigning them.
16.
Law. to retain as advocate in a suit.
17.
hold a brief for, to support or defend by argument; endorse.
18.
in brief, in a few words; in short: The supervisor outlined in brief the duties of the new assistant.

Origin:
1250–1300; Middle English bref < Anglo-French, Old French < Latin brevis short; see breve

brief·er, noun
brief·ness, noun
un·brief, adjective
un·brief·ly, adverb
un·brief·ness, noun
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un·briefed, adjective
COLLAPSE


1. short-lived, fleeting, transitory, ephemeral, transient. See short. 2. terse, compact, pithy, condensed. 5. outline, précis, epitome, abstract. See summary. 14. summarize, outline.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

brief
from L. breve (gen. brevis), noun derivative of L. adj. brevis (see brief (adj.)) which came to mean "letter, summary" (specifically a letter of the pope, less ample and solemn than a bull), and came to mean "letter of authority," which yielded the modern, legal sense of "summary
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of the facts of a case" (1630s). The verb meaning "to give instructions or information to" (1866) was originally "to instruct by a brief" (1862); hence briefing, first attested 1910 but popularized by WWII pre-flight conferences.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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