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Friar vs Briar - What's the difference?

friar | briar |

As nouns the difference between friar and briar

is that friar is a member of a mendicant Christian order such as the Augustinians, Carmelites (white friars), Franciscans (grey friars) or the Dominicans (black friars) while briar is any of many plants with thorny stems growing in dense clusters, such as many in the Rosa, Rubus, and Smilax genera.

friar

English

(wikipedia friar)

Noun

(en noun)
  • A member of a mendicant Christian order such as the Augustinians, Carmelites (white friars), Franciscans (grey friars) or the Dominicans (black friars).
  • (printing, dated) A white or pale patch on a printed page.
  • An American fish, the silverside.
  • Synonyms

    * (member of religious order) brother, frater, frater or father

    Coordinate terms

    * (member of religious order) sister

    Derived terms

    * friary * black friar * grey friar * white friar

    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