▪ I. brazen, a.
(ˈbreɪz(ə)n)
Forms: 1 bræsen, 2–7 brasen, 4 brassen, 4–5 brasun, 4–6 brasin, -yn, 5–6 brason, 6 brassin, 7 brassen, brazon, 6– brazen.
[OE. bræsen, f. bræs, brass; see -en1.]
1. Made of brass.
| a 1000 Lamb. Psalter xvii[i]. 35 (Bosw.) Ðu ᵹesettest swa swa boᵹan bræsenne earmas mine. c 1200 Ormin 17424 Þatt brasene neddre. a 1300 Cursor M. 12193 Als a chim or brasin [v.r. brassen, brasen] bell. c 1400 Apol. Loll. 90 Heþun men had sex kyndis of similacris, cleyen, treen, brasun, stonun, silueren & golden. 1444 Test. Ebor. (1855) II. 112 My best brasyn pottis. 1552 Abp. Hamilton Catech. 52 A brassin ymage. 1593 Shakes. Rich. II, iii. iii. 33 Brazen Trumpet. 1602 ― Ham. i. i. 73 Brazon Cannon. 1662 J. Chandler Van Helmont's Oriat. 85 Let there be a brassen Bottle. 1740 Swift Let. Mrs. Whiteway 29 Apr., In Phalaris's brazen bull. 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) I. 142 Like brazen pots, which when they are struck continue to sound. |
b. Referring to the strength rather than the actual material of brass; hence, strong as brass.
| 1382 Wyclif Jer. xv. 20 And I shal ȝyue thee to this puple in to a strong brasene wal. 1561 T. Norton Calvin's Inst. Pref., He may breake it [the earth] with all the iron and brasen strength, with all the golden and syluer glistering therof. 1574 tr. Marlorat's Apocalips 24 As a brazen wall agaynst all the land of Juda. 1593 Shakes. 3 Hen. VI, ii. iv. 4 Wer't thou inuiron'd with a Brazen wall. 1873 Morley Rousseau II. 26 A region..which the spirit of their time had shut off from them with brazen barriers. |
2. transf. and
fig. Resembling brass in colour, sound, etc. (Often to be referred back to Homer's οὐρανὸς χάλκεος, πολύχαλκος, ὄπα χάλκεον.)
| 1596 Spenser Hymn Heav. Beautie 263 Wks. 1842 V. 428 Heavenly notes and carolings.. that filles the brasen sky. 1606 Shakes. Ant. & Cl. iv. viii. 36 Trumpeters, with brazen dinne blast you the citties eare. 1611 Chapman Iliad xviii. 191 His brazen voice once heard. 1667 Milton P.L. vii. 496 The Serpent..with brazen Eyes And hairie Main terrific. Ibid. xi. 713 The brazen Throat of Warr had ceast to roar. 1784 Cowper Task iv. 104, I..Hear the faint echo of those brazen throats. a 1827 Longfellow Burial of Minn. i, The glory that the wood receives At sunset in its brazen leaves. 1856 Bryant Summer Wind 16 Bright clouds, Motionless pillars of the brazen heavens. |
3. fig. Hardened in effrontery; shameless.
| 1573 [see brazen-face 1]. 1588 T. L. To Ch. Rome (1651) 11 Seeking (after their hard and brazen progenitors) t'establish a righteousnesse..of their owne. a 1639 W. Whately Prototypes i. xix. (1640) 220 A brazen forehead, that is never a whit abashed. 1731 Swift To Gay, I knew a brazen minister of state, Who bore for twice ten years the public hate. 1853 Robertson Serm. Ser. iii. v. 70 The outcast woman whom human scorn would have hardened into brazen effrontery. 1869 Parkman Disc. Gt. West. x. (1875) 124 A rare monument of brazen mendacity. |
4. Phrases.
brazen age: the third of the four mythological ages of mankind, said to come between the silver and the iron age.
† brazen dish: ‘the standard dish or measure by which the wooden dishes for measuring the lead duties in Derbyshire are gauged’ (Tapping's
Gloss. Lead Mining Terms 1851).
| 1631 Star. Chamb. Cases (1886) 90 The deputy Barre Masters, measured the oare with a brasen dish. 1841 Elphinstone Hist. India I. 257 These last bear some resemblance to the golden, silver, brazen, and iron ages of the Greeks. |
5. Comb., chiefly parasynthetic:
a. lit. (often
transl. Gr. χαλκο-, χαλκεο-), as
brazen-floored,
brazen-footed,
brazen-gated,
brazen-headed,
brazen-hilted,
brazen-hoofed,
brazen-mailed,
brazen-pointed;
b. (
fig.), as
brazen-barking,
brazen-browed,
brazen-fisted,
brazen-fronted,
brazen-lunged. Also
brazen-face,
-ed.
| 1651 More in Enthus. Tri. (1656) 276 As Dionysius calls him, that *brazen-barking Cerberus. |
| 1682 Sir T. Browne Chr. Mor. 42 Noon day vices & *brazen-brow'd iniquities. |
| 1791 Cowper Odyss. viii. 397 The *brazen-floor'd abode Of Jove. |
| 1855 Kingsley Heroes iv. (1868) 132 The two *brazen-footed bulls. |
| 1842 J. B. Fraser Allee Neem. I. 255 Thou *brazen-fronted knave. |
| 1832 Tennyson Œnone 137 The *brazen-headed spear. |
| 1726 Amherst Terræ Fil. xxxi. 165 A new bob-wig, and a *brazen-hilted sword. |
| 1567 Golding Ovid's Met. vii. (1593) 155 The *brazen-hooffed bulles. |
| 1596 C. Fitzgeffrey Sir F. Drake (1881) 22 Encarving characters of memorie, In *brasen-leav'd books of eternitie. |
| 1870 Bryant Iliad I. i. 20 The Achaian warriors, *brazen-mailed. |
▪ II. brazen, v. (
ˈbreɪz(ə)n)
[f. the adj.] 1. trans. to brazen (out): to face impudently or as with a face of brass. Also with indefinite
obj. to brazen it out.
| a 1555 Latimer Serm. & Rem., To brazen it. [K. Oliphant.] 1679 Hist. Jetzer Pref. A ij, Father Ireland..brazen'd out the Court, and Hector'd the King's Evidence with one Witness upon another. 1712 Arbuthnot John Bull 86 He would talk saucily, lye, and brazen it out. 1763 Bickerstaff Love in Village iii. ix, Would you brazen me, too? Take that (boxes him). 1777 Sheridan Trip Scarb. v. ii, I am resolved to brazen the brunt of the business out. 1873 Dixon Two Queens II. x. x. 212 The deed was done, and must be brazened out. |
2. trans. To harden, make bold or reckless.
| 1884 Tennyson Becket 193, I fear [they] Are braced and brazen'd up with Christmas wines For any murderous brawl. |