briar

noun (1)

bri·ar | \ˈbrī(-ə)r

\

variants: or less commonly brier

Definition of briar

(Entry 1 of 2)

botany : a plant (such as a rose, blackberry, or greenbrier) having a usually woody and thorny or prickly stem a thicket of briars a briar patch also : a mass or twig of these

briar

noun (2)

Definition of briar (Entry 2 of 2)

: a tobacco pipe made from the root or stem of a European heath (Erica arborea)

History and Etymology for briar

Noun (1)

Middle English brere, from Old English brēr

Noun (2)

short for briar pipe, from briar wood of the European heath, from French bruyère heath, from Middle French bruiere, from Vulgar Latin *brucaria, from Late Latin brucus heather, of Celt origin; akin to Old Irish froech heather; akin to Greek ereikē heather

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about briar

Dictionary Entries near briar

Statistics for briar

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for briar

The first known use of briar was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for briar

briar

noun

bri·ar

variants: also brier \ˈbrī-ər \

Kids Definition of briar

: a plant (as the rose or blackberry) with a thorny or prickly stem

Keep scrolling for more

WORD OF THE DAY

linchpin

one that holds something together

Test Your Vocabulary

Words from Greek and Roman Mythology Quiz

Boreal comes from the name of the ancient Greek god of which wind?

Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

TAKE THE QUIZ

Word Winder's CrossWinder

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games