Bray (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Brayed (#); p. pr. & vb. n. Braying.] [OE. brayen, OF. breier, F. broyer to pound, grind, fr. OHG. brehhan to break. See Break.]
To pound, beat, rub, or grind small or fine.
Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar, . . . yet will not his foolishness depart from him.
Prov. xxvii. 22.
© Webster 1913.
Bray, v. i. [OE brayen, F. braire to bray, OF. braire to cry, fr. LL. bragire to whinny; perh. fr. the Celtic and akin to E. break; or perh. of imitative origin.]
1.
To utter a loud, harsh cry, as an ass.
Laugh, and they
Return it louder than an ass can bray.
Dryden.
2.
To make a harsh, grating, or discordant noise.
Heard ye the din of battle bray?
Gray.
© Webster 1913.
Bray, v. t.
To make or utter with a loud, discordant, or harsh and grating sound.
Arms on armor clashing, brayed
Horrible discord.
MIlton.
And varying notes the war pipes brayed.
Sir W. Scott.
© Webster 1913.
Bray, n.
The harsh cry of an ass; also, any harsh, grating, or discordant sound.
The bray and roar of multitudinous London.
Jerrold.
© Webster 1913.
Bray, n. [OE. braye, brey, brew, eyebrow, brow of a hill, hill, bank, Scot. bra, brae, bray, fr. AS. brw eyebrow, influenced by the allied Icel. br eyebrow, bank, also akin to AS. br yebrow. See Brow.]
A bank; the slope of a hill; a hill. See Brae, which is now the usual spelling.
[North of Eng. & Scot.]
Fairfax.
© Webster 1913.