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brier - 8 dictionary results
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bri⋅er

1  [brahy-er]
Use brier in a Sentence
–noun
1. a prickly plant or shrub, esp. the sweetbrier or a greenbrier.
2. a tangled mass of prickly plants.
3. a thorny stem or twig.
Also, briar.

Origin:
bef. 1000; ME brer, OE brǣr, brēr; akin to bramble

Related forms:
bri⋅er⋅y, adjective

bri⋅er

2  [brahy-er]
–noun
1. the white heath, Erica arborea, of France and Corsica, the woody root of which is used for making tobacco pipes.
2. a pipe made of brierroot.
Also, briar.

Origin:
1865–70; earlier bruyer < F bruyère, OF < Gallo-Latin *brūcāria field of heather, equiv to *brūc- heather (< Gaulish, perh. *broiko- (with early L change of oi > ū) < Celtic *wroiko- > OIr froech, Welsh grug) + L -āria -ary; cf. early ML brucus, brugaria; see -er 2 , -ar 2

bri⋅er

3  [brahy-er]
–noun Usually Disparaging.
(chiefly in Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee) a rustic or hillbilly, esp. one from Appalachia.
Origin:
shortening of brier hopper
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To brier
bri·ar 1 also bri·er   (brī'ər)   
n.  
  1. A Mediterranean shrub or small tree (Erica arborea) whose hard, woody roots are used to make tobacco pipes.
  2. A pipe made from the root of this plant or from a similar wood.

[French bruyère, heath, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin *brūcāria, from Late Latin brūcus, heather, of Celtic origin; see wer-2 in Indo-European roots.]
bri·er 1 also bri·ar   (brī'ər)   
n.  Any of several prickly plants, such as certain rosebushes or the greenbrier.

[Middle English brer, from Old English brēr.]
bri'er·y adj.
bri·er 2   (brī'ər)   
n.  Variant of briar1.
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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Brier

Bri"er\, Briar \Bri"ar\, n. [OE. brere, brer, AS. br[=e]r, br[ae]r; cf. Ir. briar prickle, thorn, brier, pin, Gael. preas bush, brier, W. prys, prysg.]

1. A plant with a slender woody stem bearing stout prickles; especially, species of Rosa, Rubus, and Smilax.

2. Fig.: Anything sharp or unpleasant to the feelings.

The thorns and briers of reproof. --Cowper.

Brier root, the root of the southern Smilax laurifolia and S. Walteri; -- used for tobacco pipes.

Cat brier, Green brier, several species of Smilax (S. rotundifolia, etc.)

Sweet brier (Rosa rubiginosa). See Sweetbrier.

Yellow brier, the Rosa Eglantina.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Brier

This word occurs frequently, and is the translation of several different terms. (1.) Micah 7:4, it denotes a species of thorn shrub used for hedges. In Prov. 15:19 the word is rendered "thorn" (Heb. _hedek_, "stinging"), supposed by some to be what is called the "apple of Sodom" (q.v.). (2.) Ezek. 28:24, _sallon'_, properly a "prickle," such as is found on the shoots of the palm tree. (3.) Isa. 55:13, probably simply a thorny bush. Some, following the Vulgate Version, regard it as the "nettle." (4.) Isa. 5:6; 7:23-25, etc., frequently used to denote thorny shrubs in general. In 10:17; 27:4, it means troublesome men. (5.) In Heb. 6:8 the Greek word (tribolos) so rendered means "three-pronged," and denotes the land caltrop, a low throny shrub resembling in its spikes the military "crow-foot." Comp. Matt. 7:16, "thistle."

Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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