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Branks vs Brank - What's the difference?

branks | brank |

As nouns the difference between branks and brank

is that branks is (plurale tantum) a punishment device, especially for scolding women, consisting of a cage to enclose the head, with a metal gag for the mouth while brank is (usually|in the plural) a metal bridle formerly used as a torture device to hold the head of a scold and restrain the tongue or brank can be (uk|dialect) buckwheat.

As a verb brank is

to put someone in the branks.

branks

English

Noun

(en-plural noun)
  • (plurale tantum) a punishment device, especially for scolding women, consisting of a cage to enclose the head, with a metal gag for the mouth
  • :* 1836': Plot, in his History of Staffordshire, describes the '''branks used at Newcastle-under-Lyme, and at Walsall, in the reign of James II. — ''The Gentleman's Magazine , July 1836 p.98

    • brank

    English

    Etymology 1

    Compare Gaelic brangus'', ''brangas'', a sort of pillory, Irish ''brancas'', halter, or Dutch ''pranger , fetter.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (usually, in the plural) A metal bridle formerly used as a torture device to hold the head of a scold and restrain the tongue
  • (obsolete, UK, Scotland, dialect, usually, in the plural) A sort of bridle with wooden side pieces.
    • (Jamieson)

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To put someone in the branks
  • (UK, Scotland, dialect) To hold up and toss the head; applied to horses as spurning the bit.
  • (Scotland) To prance; to caper.
    • (Jamieson)

    Etymology 2

    Probably of Celtic origin; compare (etyl) (lena) brance, brace, the Gallic name of a particularly white kind of corn.

    Noun

    (-)
  • (UK, dialect) buckwheat
    • (Halliwell)
    (Webster 1913)

    Anagrams

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