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Brian vs Briar - What's the difference?

brian | briar |

As a verb brian

is (dialectal|northern england) to keep fire at the mouth of (as of an oven), to give light or to preserve heat.

As a noun briar is

any of many plants with thorny stems growing in dense clusters, such as many in the rosa, rubus'', and ''smilax genera or briar can be the white heath,.

brian

English

Alternative forms

* Bryan * Bryon

Proper noun

(en proper noun)
  • .
  • * 1865 Charlotte Eliza L. Riddell: Maxwell Drewitt . Tinsley Brothers, London 1865. page 255-256:
    • "What the deuce is their fancy for calling the young beggar Brian'?" he inquired."Is it ' Brian Boroimhe they have gone back to, or is it some of her people, or what?"
    "There was a good Drewitt once," answered Wilhelmina, "- - - and his name was Brian'. - - - And Nannie told her, too, how a child always strains after the person it is called after, and how luck follows names, and worked her up to such a pit finally, that nothing would do her but the young gentleman must be called '''Brian''' and accordingly '''Brian''' he is - ' Brian Archibald. It is not an easy name to make fun out of; so all I can do is to call him Brin Baldy.
  • * 2008 Phill Young: FarArc . Author House 2008. ISBN 1434378365 page 145:
    • Why oh why had his parents even considered Brian'? '''Brian''' is someone who works in a hardware shop or fixes the U bend. What chance did Sir Lovesdaslutalot have in life with a name like '''Brian'''? You can't even shorten ' Brian to Bri without it sounding like a kind of cheese!

    Usage notes

    After the Middle Ages, mostly used in Ireland; and again popular in all English-speaking countries in the 20th century.

    Related terms

    * Bri * Bryant * (feminine forms) Briana, Brianna

    External links

    * (Brian Boru)

    Anagrams

    * * * * ----

    briar

    English

    (wikipedia briar) (Erica arborea)

    Alternative forms

    * brier

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Any of many plants with thorny stems growing in dense clusters, such as many in the Rosa, Rubus'', and ''Smilax genera.
  • , a thorny Mediterranean shrub.
  • A pipe for smoking, made from the roots of that shrub.
  • (figurative) Anything sharp or unpleasant to the feelings.
  • * (rfdate) (Cowper)
    • The thorns and briers of reproof.
    Derived terms
    * briar-patch

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) , assimilated with Etymology 1, above.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The white heath, .
  • A pipe made from the root of this plant.
    • Derived terms
    * briar-pipe