▪ I. bruit, n.
(bruːt)
Forms: 4 brout, 5 bruyt(e, 5–7 brute, 6 brewte, 6–7 bruite, 5– bruit.
[a. F. bruit in same senses, ppl. n. belonging to bruire vb. to make a noise, roar: corresp. to Pr. bruzer, brugir, OCat. brogir, It. bruire. According to Littré, brugītus, the prototype of bruit, occurs in late L. Diez views with favour a derivation proposed by Ménage from L. rugīre to roar, rugītus roaring, and says that brugit for rugit occurs in Lex Alemann. If this be so, the prefixed b may be due to some onomatopœic alteration.]
1. Noise, din, clamour, sound. arch.
| c 1450 Merlin 211 Ther sholde ye haue herde soche bruyt and soche noyse. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. xviii. 23 They made a merueilus great brute, w{supt} blowyng of hornes. 1563 Foxe A. & M. I. 689/2 A brute or noise of wild Beasts. 1612 Drayton Poly-olb. xv. 240 A shrill and suddaine brute this Prothalamion brake. 1637 R. Hurst tr. Gombauld's Endim. (1639) 202 A confused bruite of Cymballs. 1837 Carlyle Fr. Rev. I. i. iii. iii. 57 Testifying, as his wont is, by loud bruit. a 1863 Merivale Rom. Emp. (1865) V. xliii. 219 To check it with the bruit of arms. |
2. Report noised abroad, rumour, tidings; matter noised abroad. arch.
| 1494 Fabyan vii. 387 Not long after y⊇ brute of this ouerthrowe of the Englysshemen came vnto the towne. 1611 Bible Nahum iii. 19 All that heare the bruit of thee, shall clap the hands ouer thee. 1671 Evelyn Mem. (1857) II. 66 There came an uncertain bruit from Barbadoes of some disorder there. 1748 Richardson Clarissa (1811) III. xiv. 88 Who says Miss Clarissa Harlowe is the paragon of virtue?.. Common bruit! Is virtue to be established by common bruit only? 1864 Kirk Chas. Bold II. iv. iv. 483 The wildest bruits were greedily credited. |
† b. Noising abroad, public utterance. Obs.
| 1548 Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Mark x, The bruite or preaching of the Ghospell. |
† 3. Fame, renown, celebrity, reputation. Obs.
| c 1475 Caxton Jason 51 The bruit of preu Jason augmented..from day to day. 1513 Douglas æneis xiii. Prol. 193 Quha evir in Latyn hes the bruit or glore. 1549–62 Sternhold & H. Ps. lxviii. 11 His people triumphes make, and purchase brute and fame. 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. 20 Ane Arbitour sould be of gude brute and fame. |
‖ 4. Med. A name for any of the sounds heard in auscultation; e.g. bruit artériel, bruit de souffle, etc. A French sense; sometimes used in Eng.
▪ II. bruit, v.
(bruːt)
Also 6–7 bruite, 6–8 brute.
[f. bruit n.]
1. trans. To noise, report, rumour. Often with abroad, about.
| a 1528 Skelton Col. Clout 489 With language thus poluted, Holy Churche is bruted. 1548 Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. John iv. 28 The woman did bruit abrode this rumour. 1598 Drayton Heroic. Ep. xvi. 101 When Fame shall brute thy Banishment abroad. 1591 Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, ii. iii. 68, I finde thou art no lesse then Fame hath bruited. 1682 Bunyan Holy War 43 If I first brute this, the tidings, that will come after, will all be swallowed up of this. 1837 Carlyle Fr. Rev. II. iii. iv. iii. 263 The country is getting up; noise of you is bruited day after day. 1840 Dickens Barn. Rudge (1866) II. lxxiii. 66 This report..was bruited about with much industry. |
b. with subord. clause, or an equivalent.
| 1525 Ld. Berners Froiss. II. ccxxii. [ccxviii.] 691 The Frenchemen bruteth that ye wyll put out of your armes tharmes of Fraunce. 1538 Latimer Serm. & Rem. (1845) 404 [Those]..which were bruited to deny the sacrament. 1651 Proc. Parliament No. 98. 1502 The Enemy was bruted to be upon his March towards Carlisle. 1706 Estcourt Fair Examp. iv. i. 51 To blast my Fame, and brute it to the World that you have left me. 1835 Lytton Rienzi iv. i, They do bruit it that he sees visions. |
c. intr.
| 1818 Keats Endymion i. 791 Bronze clarions awake, and faintly bruit, Where long ago a giant battle was. |
2. trans. To speak of, make famous, celebrate.
| 1553 T. Wilson Rhet. 11 Let Cesar, Alexander, and Hanniball be bruted for warriers. 1598 Yong Diana 98 Of whom Fame brutes their name in euery ground. 1641 Milton Ch. Govt. v. (1851) 113 A man so much bruited for learning. 1791 Cowper Iliad viii. 220 The shield of Nestor, bruited to the skies. 1816 Byron Ch. Har. iii. 37 Thy wild name Was ne'er more bruited in men's minds than now. |
† 3. To din. Obs.
| 1719 D'Urfey Pills (1872) IV. 86 Whole Towns you will bruit with a Pettifogging Suit. |
▪ III. bruit, -ish
obs. forms of brute, brutish.