Word of the Day

: July 7, 2012

bruit

verb BROOT

What It Means

: report, rumor - usually used with about

bruit in Context

Word of his imminent dismissal was bruited about.

"In Iraq, the mission of the remnant of U.S. forces - the number 3,000 has been bruited - will, [Leon] Panetta says, include counterterrorism actions 'working with the Iraqis.'" - From an editorial by George Will in The Washington Post, September 18, 2011

Did You Know?

Back in the days of Middle English, the Anglo-French noun "bruit," meaning "clamor" or "noise," rattled into English. Soon English speakers were also using it to mean "report" or "rumor" (it applied especially to favorable reports). We also began using "bruit" as a verb the way we used (and still occasionally do use) the verb "noise," with the meaning "to spread by rumor or report" (as in "the scandal was quickly noised about"). The English noun "bruit" is now considered archaic, but the verb lives on.