▪ I. brent, a. Sc.
(brɛnt)
[A phonetic variant of brant, found in northern ME., and in Sc.]
† 1. Steep, lofty: see brant. Obs.
| c 1325 E.E. Allit. P. B. 379 Þay..bowed to þe hyȝ bonk þer brentest hit wern. c 1340 Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 2165 Hyȝe bonkkez and brent. 1691 Ray N.C. Wds. 132 Brent-brow, a steep Hill, Metaph. |
2. Of the forehead: a. Lofty, straight up, prominent. b. Unwrinkled, smooth.
| c 1400 Destr. Troy 3030 With browes full brent, brightist of hewe. 1513 Douglas æneis viii. xii. 14 From his blyth browis [L. tempora læta] brent and athyr ene The fyre twinkling. 1629 Z. Boyd Last Battle 678 (Jam.) At the first sight of that angrie Majestie, with brent browes and sterne countenance. a 1758 Ramsay Poems (1800) II. 17 (Jam.) Her fair brent brow, smooth as th' unrunkled deep. 1789 Burns J. Anderson i, Your bonie brow was brent. |
▪ II. brent, n.
(brɛnt)
[So commonly spelt by Eng. authors since Pennant; Dr. Kay also (1570) had brend-gose. The form usual in 16th and 17th c., and still prevalent in U.S., is brant, which see.]
The smallest species of wild goose (Bernicla brenta), a winter visitant of the British coasts. Also, more fully brent-goose (in 6 brend-gose).
| 1570 J. Caius De var. animal. 18 Anser Brendinus..Vulgus..a coloris varietate a Brendgose nominat..Bernded seu brended id animal dicitur, quod in colore murino variegatum est albo, ut est hic anser. 1768 Pennant Zool. II. 453 Mr. Willoughby, Mr. Ray, and M. Brisson very properly describe the Bernacle and Brent as different species. 1839 Proc. Berw. Nat. Club I. vii. 190 Brent-geese..and golden-eyes, were very plentiful. 1848 C. A. Johns Week at Lizard 333 Brent (Anser torquatus). 1876 Davis Polaris Exp. v. 113 Large flocks of brent-geese were seen. 1884 Mehalah i. 3 The barking of the brent geese as they return from their northern breeding places is heard in November. |