tender shoots or twigs of shrubs and trees as food for cattle, deer, etc.
9.
an act or instance of browsing.
Origin: 1400–50;late Middle Englishbrowsen, perhaps a verbal derivative of Anglo-Frenchbroz, plural of brot shoot, new growth, Old Frenchbrost < Old Low Franconian*brust bud, noun derivative of *brustjan; compare Old Saxonbrustian to come into bud
Related forms
brows·er, noun
non·brows·ing, adjective, noun
o·ver·browse, verb (used with object), o·ver·browsed, o·ver·brows·ing.
1523, "feed on buds," from M.Fr. brouster, from O.Fr. broster "to sprout, bud," from brost "young shoot, twig," probably from P.Gmc. *brustjan "to bud." Lost its final -t in Eng. on the mistaken notion that it was a pp. inflection. Figurative extension to "peruse" (books) is 1870s, Amer.Eng.
in. to eat a bit of everything at parties. : We will just graze on party snacks rather than eat a full meal. , I think I'll just browse here and skip going out to dinner.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition. Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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