brow

[ brou ]

noun

1. Anatomy. the ridge over the eye.
2. the hair growing on that ridge; eyebrow.
3. the forehead:

   He wore his hat low over his brow.

4. a person's countenance or mien.
5. the edge of a steep place:

   She looked down over the brow of the hill.

6. gangplank.

brow

/ braʊ /

noun

1. the part of the face from the eyes to the hairline; forehead
2. short for eyebrow
3. the expression of the face; countenance

   a troubled brow

4. the top of a mine shaft; pithead
5. the jutting top of a hill, etc
6. dialect.
   a steep slope on a road

Word History and Origins

Origin of brow¹

before 1000; Middle English browe, Old English brū; akin to Old Norse brūn, Sanskrit bhrūs

Word History and Origins

Origin of brow¹

Old English brū ; related to Old Norse brūn eyebrow, Lithuanian bruvis , Greek ophrus , Sanskrit bhrūs

Idioms and Phrases

see by the sweat of one's brow ; cause raised eyebrows .

Example Sentences

He paused for a moment, furrowed his brow, and said he didn’t know anything about the effort—though he did allude to the “great community” that had supported his 2020 campaign.

From The Daily Beast

Fifteen minutes later, a wooden fence ushered us above the valley and an unmistakable profile — heavy brow, thick nose, sturdy chin — protruded from the cliff face.

From Washington Post

Recent data suggests that crashes often occur in the velocity range covered by impact tests, but that helmets often sustain damage at the brow line, an area that CPSC tests don’t target.

From Outside Online

Leading me through the waves by the nose of my board, up to his neck in the ocean, Dillon turned toward the horizon, shielding his brow with his hand.

From Outside Online

Gigi grunts and furrows her brow before she ultimately says, “You, Daddy,” handing me the rod to reel in the fish.

From Popular-Science

He wipes beads of sweat from his brow, and extends his hand out towards the crowd.

From The Daily Beast

Her pallid young face, brow sweating with fear and pain, yet resolute and stiff with sorrow, makes you want to cry.

From The Daily Beast

It will come as no surprise to his longtime fans that Chuck Klosterman has contributed to this parade of high-brow hypocrisy.

From The Daily Beast

I asked why, and he paused for a moment, furrowing his brow and exhaling deeply.

From The Daily Beast

Instead, Love Hotel seems less a documentary than a high-brow reality television show.

From The Daily Beast

E was an Esquire, with pride on his brow; F was a Farmer, and followed the plough.

From Project Gutenberg

In fact, so much of her smooth brow as could be seen under a broad-brimmed straw hat was wrinkled in a decided frown.

From Project Gutenberg

Old Holmes furrowed his brow and closed one eye, seeking with the other the inspiration of the sky.

From Project Gutenberg

Lawrence handed the General the mysterious message and Schofield read it with a darkened brow.

From Project Gutenberg

When he was gone, Monsieur de Tressan flung off his wig, and mopped the perspiration from his brow.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• eyebrow