briar

¹ American

[brahy-er] / ˈbraɪ ər /

noun

brier.

briar ² American

[brahy-er] / ˈbraɪ ər /

noun

brier.

briar ¹ British

/ ˈbraɪə /

noun

Also called: tree heath. an ericaceous shrub, Erica arborea , of S Europe, having a hard woody root (briarroot)
a tobacco pipe made from the root of this plant

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

briar ² British

/ ˈbraɪə /

noun

a variant spelling of brier 1

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

briary adjective

Etymology

Origin of briar

C19: from French bruyère heath, from Late Latin brūcus , of Gaulish origin

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The glasses were sold along with a Barling briar pipe and two photographs of the comic.

From BBC • Jan. 11, 2025

It created a taut moment before we were launched into the briar patch below and Br’er Rabbit could hop to safety.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2024

Now he's caught in a briar patch of predatory lending endangering his life and his and Dennis' livelihood.

From Salon • Jun. 14, 2023

And the witness box is his briar patch.

From Washington Times • Feb. 27, 2023

Her long whitey hair hung in damp strands and there were briar scratches on her hands.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023