"brail" meaning in English

See brail in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /bɹeɪl/ Forms: brails [plural]
Rhymes: -eɪl Etymology: From Middle English brayle, from Old French braiel, from Medieval Latin bracale (“girdle”) (from bracae (“breeches”)). Etymology templates: {{inh|en|enm|brayle}} Middle English brayle, {{der|en|fro|braiel}} Old French braiel, {{der|en|la-med|bracale|t=girdle}} Medieval Latin bracale (“girdle”) Head templates: {{en-noun}} brail (plural brails)
  1. (nautical) A small rope used to truss up sails. Synonyms: brailing
    Sense id: en-brail-en-noun-J6A1DvHx Categories (other): Nautical, English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 3 entries, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 36 13 36 9 2 4 Disambiguation of Pages with 3 entries: 36 15 31 7 5 6 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 39 13 38 4 3 3 Topics: nautical, transport
  2. (falconry) A thong of soft leather to bind up a hawk's wing.
    Sense id: en-brail-en-noun-5aR9TQgi Categories (other): Falconry, English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 3 entries, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 36 13 36 9 2 4 Disambiguation of Pages with 3 entries: 36 15 31 7 5 6 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 39 13 38 4 3 3 Topics: falconry, hobbies, hunting, lifestyle
  3. A stock at each end of a seine to keep it stretched.
    Sense id: en-brail-en-noun-tYF-DXpo Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 3 entries, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 36 13 36 9 2 4 Disambiguation of Pages with 3 entries: 36 15 31 7 5 6 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 39 13 38 4 3 3
  4. (theater) A rope or line used to suspend lights or scenery in a certain position.
    Sense id: en-brail-en-noun-AtikTJrx Categories (other): Theater Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, theater
  5. (in the plural) The feathers around a hawk's rump. Tags: in-plural
    Sense id: en-brail-en-noun-CwjScKxO
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: throat brail, unbrail

Verb

IPA: /bɹeɪl/ Forms: brails [present, singular, third-person], brailing [participle, present], brailed [participle, past], brailed [past]
Rhymes: -eɪl Etymology: From Middle English brayle, from Old French braiel, from Medieval Latin bracale (“girdle”) (from bracae (“breeches”)). Etymology templates: {{inh|en|enm|brayle}} Middle English brayle, {{der|en|fro|braiel}} Old French braiel, {{der|en|la-med|bracale|t=girdle}} Medieval Latin bracale (“girdle”) Head templates: {{en-verb}} brail (third-person singular simple present brails, present participle brailing, simple past and past participle brailed)
  1. To reef, shorten or strike sail using brails.
    Sense id: en-brail-en-verb-r1AIr3eT

Inflected forms

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "throat brail"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "unbrail"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "brayle"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English brayle",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "braiel"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French braiel",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la-med",
        "3": "bracale",
        "t": "girdle"
      },
      "expansion": "Medieval Latin bracale (“girdle”)",
      "name": "der"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English brayle, from Old French braiel, from Medieval Latin bracale (“girdle”) (from bracae (“breeches”)).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "brails",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "brail (plural brails)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Nautical",
          "orig": "en:Nautical",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "36 13 36 9 2 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "36 15 31 7 5 6",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 3 entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "39 13 38 4 3 3",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A small rope used to truss up sails."
      ],
      "id": "en-brail-en-noun-J6A1DvHx",
      "links": [
        [
          "nautical",
          "nautical"
        ],
        [
          "sail",
          "sail"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(nautical) A small rope used to truss up sails."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "brailing"
        }
      ],
      "topics": [
        "nautical",
        "transport"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Falconry",
          "orig": "en:Falconry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "36 13 36 9 2 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "36 15 31 7 5 6",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 3 entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "39 13 38 4 3 3",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A thong of soft leather to bind up a hawk's wing."
      ],
      "id": "en-brail-en-noun-5aR9TQgi",
      "links": [
        [
          "falconry",
          "falconry"
        ],
        [
          "thong",
          "thong"
        ],
        [
          "leather",
          "leather"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(falconry) A thong of soft leather to bind up a hawk's wing."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "falconry",
        "hobbies",
        "hunting",
        "lifestyle"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "36 13 36 9 2 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "36 15 31 7 5 6",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 3 entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "39 13 38 4 3 3",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A stock at each end of a seine to keep it stretched."
      ],
      "id": "en-brail-en-noun-tYF-DXpo",
      "links": [
        [
          "stock",
          "stock"
        ],
        [
          "seine",
          "seine"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Theater",
          "orig": "en:Theater",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A rope or line used to suspend lights or scenery in a certain position."
      ],
      "id": "en-brail-en-noun-AtikTJrx",
      "links": [
        [
          "theater",
          "theater"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(theater) A rope or line used to suspend lights or scenery in a certain position."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "entertainment",
        "lifestyle",
        "theater"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "The feathers around a hawk's rump."
      ],
      "id": "en-brail-en-noun-CwjScKxO",
      "links": [
        [
          "feather",
          "feather"
        ],
        [
          "hawk",
          "hawk"
        ],
        [
          "rump",
          "rump"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(in the plural) The feathers around a hawk's rump."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "in-plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/bɹeɪl/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-eɪl"
    }
  ],
  "word": "brail"
}

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "brayle"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English brayle",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "braiel"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French braiel",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la-med",
        "3": "bracale",
        "t": "girdle"
      },
      "expansion": "Medieval Latin bracale (“girdle”)",
      "name": "der"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English brayle, from Old French braiel, from Medieval Latin bracale (“girdle”) (from bracae (“breeches”)).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "brails",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "brailing",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "brailed",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "brailed",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "brail (third-person singular simple present brails, present participle brailing, simple past and past participle brailed)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              50,
              58
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1993, Anthony Burgess, A Dead Man in Deptford:",
          "text": "The winds blew at their own caprice and there was brailing and loosing of canvas.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To reef, shorten or strike sail using brails."
      ],
      "id": "en-brail-en-verb-r1AIr3eT",
      "links": [
        [
          "reef",
          "reef"
        ],
        [
          "sail",
          "sail"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/bɹeɪl/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-eɪl"
    }
  ],
  "word": "brail"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms derived from Medieval Latin",
    "English terms derived from Middle English",
    "English terms derived from Old French",
    "English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *bʰreg-",
    "English terms inherited from Middle English",
    "English verbs",
    "Pages with 3 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/eɪl",
    "Rhymes:English/eɪl/1 syllable"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "throat brail"
    },
    {
      "word": "unbrail"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "brayle"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English brayle",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "braiel"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French braiel",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la-med",
        "3": "bracale",
        "t": "girdle"
      },
      "expansion": "Medieval Latin bracale (“girdle”)",
      "name": "der"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English brayle, from Old French braiel, from Medieval Latin bracale (“girdle”) (from bracae (“breeches”)).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "brails",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "brail (plural brails)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "en:Nautical"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A small rope used to truss up sails."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "nautical",
          "nautical"
        ],
        [
          "sail",
          "sail"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(nautical) A small rope used to truss up sails."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "brailing"
        }
      ],
      "topics": [
        "nautical",
        "transport"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "en:Falconry"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A thong of soft leather to bind up a hawk's wing."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "falconry",
          "falconry"
        ],
        [
          "thong",
          "thong"
        ],
        [
          "leather",
          "leather"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(falconry) A thong of soft leather to bind up a hawk's wing."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "falconry",
        "hobbies",
        "hunting",
        "lifestyle"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A stock at each end of a seine to keep it stretched."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "stock",
          "stock"
        ],
        [
          "seine",
          "seine"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "en:Theater"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A rope or line used to suspend lights or scenery in a certain position."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "theater",
          "theater"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(theater) A rope or line used to suspend lights or scenery in a certain position."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "entertainment",
        "lifestyle",
        "theater"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "The feathers around a hawk's rump."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "feather",
          "feather"
        ],
        [
          "hawk",
          "hawk"
        ],
        [
          "rump",
          "rump"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(in the plural) The feathers around a hawk's rump."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "in-plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/bɹeɪl/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-eɪl"
    }
  ],
  "word": "brail"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms derived from Medieval Latin",
    "English terms derived from Middle English",
    "English terms derived from Old French",
    "English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *bʰreg-",
    "English terms inherited from Middle English",
    "English verbs",
    "Pages with 3 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/eɪl",
    "Rhymes:English/eɪl/1 syllable"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "brayle"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English brayle",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "braiel"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French braiel",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la-med",
        "3": "bracale",
        "t": "girdle"
      },
      "expansion": "Medieval Latin bracale (“girdle”)",
      "name": "der"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English brayle, from Old French braiel, from Medieval Latin bracale (“girdle”) (from bracae (“breeches”)).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "brails",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "brailing",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "brailed",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "brailed",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "brail (third-person singular simple present brails, present participle brailing, simple past and past participle brailed)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              50,
              58
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1993, Anthony Burgess, A Dead Man in Deptford:",
          "text": "The winds blew at their own caprice and there was brailing and loosing of canvas.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To reef, shorten or strike sail using brails."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "reef",
          "reef"
        ],
        [
          "sail",
          "sail"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/bɹeɪl/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-eɪl"
    }
  ],
  "word": "brail"
}

Download raw JSONL data for brail meaning in English (4.4kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-09-09 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-09-02 using wiktextract (ccec6f1 and 4deed51). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.