adv. [ Pref. a- + grief. ] In grief; amiss. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]
a. [ OE. bref, F. brief, bref, fr. L. brevis; akin to Gr.
How brief the life of man. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]
The brief style is that which expresseth much in little. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]
In brief.
adv.
Adam, faltering long, thus answered brief. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ See Brief, a., and cf. Breve. ]
Bear this sealed brief,
With winged hastle, to the lord marshal. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]
And she told me
In a sweet, verbal brief. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]
Each woman is a brief of womankind. Overbury. [ 1913 Webster ]
It was not without some reference to it that I perused many a brief. Sir J. Stephen. [ 1913 Webster ]
☞ In England, the brief is prepared by the attorney; in the United States, counsel generally make up their own briefs. [ 1913 Webster ]
Apostolical brief,
Brief of title,
In brief,
v. t. To make an abstract or abridgment of; to shorten;
n. a small suitcase with a handle; it is used for carrying papers or files or books. [ WordNet 1.5 ]
n.
a. Having no brief; without clients;
adv. Concisely; in few words. [ 1913 Webster ]
n.
n. The quality of being brief; brevity; conciseness in discourse or writing. [ 1913 Webster ]
v. to interrogate (a person who has recently experienced an event), to obtain information about that experience; -- used especially of military pilots or diplomatic agents who have just returned from a mission. [ PJC ]
n. [ OE. grief, gref, OF. grief, gref, F. grief, L. gravis heavy; akin to Gr.
The mother was so afflicted at the loss of a fine boy, . . . that she died for grief of it. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]
Be factious for redress of all these griefs. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]
This grief (cancerous ulcers) hastened the end of that famous mathematician, Mr. Harriot. Wood. [ 1913 Webster ]
To come to grief,
a. Full of grief or sorrow. Sackville. [ 1913 Webster ]
a. Without grief. Huloet. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. Heartache; sorrow. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. Proof. [ Obs. ] Spenser. Lydgate. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. Repreve. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ See Reave. ] Robbery. [ Obs. or Scot. ] [ 1913 Webster ]
Same as Sea letter. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. (Mus.) A semibreve. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]