brake

1. imp. of Break. Source: opted

2. n. A fern of the genus Pteris, esp. the P. aquilina, common in almost all countries. It has solitary stems dividing into three principal branches. Less properly: Any fern. Source: opted

3. n. A thicket; a place overgrown with shrubs and brambles, with undergrowth and ferns, or with canes. Source: opted

4. v. t. An instrument or machine to break or bruise the woody part of flax or hemp so that it may be separated from the fiber. Source: opted

5. v. t. An extended handle by means of which a number of men can unite in working a pump, as in a fire engine. Source: opted

6. v. t. A baker's kneading though. Source: opted

7. v. t. A sharp bit or snaffle. Source: opted

8. v. t. A frame for confining a refractory horse while the smith is shoeing him; also, an inclosure to restrain cattle, horses, etc. Source: opted

9. v. t. That part of a carriage, as of a movable battery, or engine, which enables it to turn. Source: opted

10. v. t. An ancient engine of war analogous to the crossbow and ballista. Source: opted

11. v. t. A large, heavy harrow for breaking clods after plowing; a drag. Source: opted

12. v. t. A piece of mechanism for retarding or stopping motion by friction, as of a carriage or railway car, by the pressure of rubbers against the wheels, or of clogs or ratchets against the track or roadway, or of a pivoted lever against a wheel or drum in a machine. Source: opted

13. v. t. An apparatus for testing the power of a steam engine, or other motor, by weighing the amount of friction that the motor will overcome; a friction brake. Source: opted

14. v. t. A cart or carriage without a body, used in breaking in horses. Source: opted

15. v. t. An ancient instrument of torture. Source: opted

16. of Break Source: opted

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