brain

Meaning

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) The control center of the central nervous system of an animal located in the skull which is responsible for perception, cognition, attention, memory, emotion, and action.
2. (countable, uncountable) The control center of the central nervous system of an animal located in the skull which is responsible for perception, cognition, attention, memory, emotion, and action.
3. (countable, informal, uncountable) Mind.
4. (countable, in-plural, uncountable) Intellect.
5. (countable, informal, uncountable) An intelligent person.
6. (countable, informal, plural, plural-only, uncountable) An intelligent person.
7. (countable, informal, singular, uncountable) An intelligent person.
8. (countable, uncountable) By analogy with a human brain, the part of a machine or computer that performs calculations.
9. (slang, uncountable, vulgar) Oral sex.
10. (countable, uncountable) A loose compartment of a backpack that straps on over the top opening.

Verb

1. (transitive) To dash out the brains of; to kill by smashing the skull.
2. (transitive) To strike (someone) on the head.
3. (figuratively, transitive) To destroy; to put an end to.
4. (obsolete, transitive) To conceive in the mind; to understand.
5. (humorous, intransitive, nonstandard) To think effectively.

Synonyms

mind

intellect

intelligence

head

mentality

brains

encephalon

cerebrum

wit

reason

knowledge

cerebral

Einstein

genius

mastermind

sense

nous

brainiac

brainpower

thick

ability

highbrow

mental capacity

intellectual

psyche

learning ability

skull

💀

marrow

marbles

medulla oblongata

mental

pate

pith

point

pundit

retroflex

saneness

science

shrewdness

smart

sophisticated

tact

talent

testicle

thinking

🤔

wisdom

wits

cephalon

clerisy

electronic brain

Translations

cerveau

🧠

Gehirn

🧠

cerebro

🧠

cervello

🧠

cervelle

🧠

cérebro

🧠

Hirn

🧠

εγκέφαλος

hersenen

🧠

cervell

🧠

brein

🧠

μυαλό

seso

🧠

beyin

🧠

Pronounced as (IPA)

/bɹeɪn/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: brayn

Inherited from Old English: bræġn

Cognate with Scots: braine

Cognate with Northern Frisian: brayen

Cognate with Saterland Frisian: Brainge

Cognate with Western Frisian: brein

Cognate with Dutch: brein

Cognate with Low German: Brägen

Cognate with German: Bregen

Cognate with Ancient Greek: βρεχμός

In summary

From Middle English brayn, brain, from Old English bræġn (“brain”), from Proto-West Germanic *bragn, from Proto-Germanic *bragną (“brain”), from Proto-Indo-European *mregʰnom (“skull, brain”), from Proto-Indo-European *mregʰ- (“marrow, sinciput”) + *-mn̥ (“nominal suffix”).
Cognate with Scots braine, brane (“brain”), North Frisian brayen, brein, Brain (“brain”), Saterland Frisian Brainge, Bräienge (“brain”), West Frisian brein (“brain”), Dutch brein (“brain”), Low German Brägen, Bregen (“brain”) (whence German Bregen (“animal brain”)), Ancient Greek βρεχμός (brekhmós, “front part of the skull, top of the head”).

Sentences

That recital made my brain implode .

It's extremely suspicious that there's no information about brains that didn't come from a brain .