▪ I. breeze, n.1
(briːz)
Forms: 1 briosa, breosa, 4–6 brese, 5 breze, breas, 6 bryze, 6–7 brize, brizze, 7 brieze, briese, breise, brise, breez, (bree, brye), 4– breese, 7– breeze, (9 arch. brize).
[OE. briosa, breosa masc.: conjecturally referred by some to brimse; but there appears to be no ground for supposing any connexion.]
1. A gadfly: a name given to various dipterous insects, esp. of the genera Œstrus (bot-fly) and Tabanus, which annoy horses and cattle. arch. or dial. † b. sea-breeze: a parasite infesting some fish (cf. Gr. οἶστρος). Obs. Also fig.
| a 800 Gloss. in Wr.-Wülcker 7/20 Asilo, briosa. Ibid. 49/42 Tabunus, briosa. c 1380 Chaucer Balade, I wol me venge on loue as doþe a breese On wylde horsse. 1596 Spenser F.Q. vi. i. 24 As doth a steare..With his long taile the bryzes brush away. 1601 Holland Pliny I. 329 Certain Brees and horse-flies come of it [timber]. 1611 Cotgr., Tahon, a Brizze, Brimsee, Gadbee, Dunflie, Oxeflie. Tahon Marin, the sea Brizze; a kind of worm found about some Fishes. 1641 Milton Ch. Discip. ii. (1851) 34 They deliver up the poor transformed heifer of the Commonwealth to be stung and vext with the breese and goad of oppression. 1661 K. W. Conf. Charac. (1860) 62 By the biting of this brye they run headlong after superiority. a 1725 Pope Odyss. xxii. 335 Like oxen maddened by the breeze's sting. 1850 Blackie æschylus II. 44 O pain! pain! pain!.. The fateful brize! |
† 2. Applied vaguely to other insects. Obs.
| a 1300 E.E. Psalter civ. 34 Brese, of whilk na tale ne ware. 1401 Pol. Poems (1859) II. 54 Whan the first angel blew..ther rose smotheryng smoke, and brese therinne [1611 locusts (Rev. ix. 3, etc.)]. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 49 Brese, locusta. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 412/3 That same tyme cam in to fraunce brezes or locustes Innumerable. |
3. Comb., as breeze-fly = breeze 1.
| 1572 L. Mascall Govt. Cattle (1627) 34 To make that the breese-flie shall not annoy & bite cattell. 1868 Wood Homes without H. xxvi. 511 Breeze Fly (Œstrus bovis). |
▪ II. breeze, n.2
(briːz)
Forms: 6–7 brize, brieze, 7 brise, brese, breze, breaze, 7–8 breez, breese, 7– breeze.
[In 16th c. brize, brieze, app. ad. OSp. (and Pg.) briza (mod.Sp. brisa) ‘north-east wind’ (though, according to Cotgrave, brize also occurs in Fr. (in Rabelais a 1550) = bize, bise ‘north wind’). Cf. also It. brezza ‘cold wind bringing mist or frost’ (Florio), Milanese brisa ‘cool wind from the north’ (Diez). Cotgrave's brize = bize, supports the suggestion of Diez, that the word was orig. a variant of bisa, bise ‘north east wind’. On the Atlantic sea-board of the West Indies and Spanish Main, briza acquired the transferred senses of ‘north-east trade-wind’, and ‘fresh wind from the sea’, in which it was adopted by the English navigators of the 16th c. The further extension to ‘gentle fresh wind’ generally, is English; cf. the actual F. brise (in the Dict. of the Academy only since 1762).]
† 1. orig. A north or north-east wind; spec. applied within the tropics to the NE. trade-wind.
| 1565–89 Hawkins' 2nd Voy. in Arb. Garner V. 121 The ordinary brise taking us, which is the north-east wind. 1595 Raleigh Disc. Guiana in Hakluyt Voy. (1600) III. 661 Against the brize and eastern wind. 1604 E. G[rimston] D'Acosta's Hist. Indies iii. iv. 128 In that Zone..the Easterly windes (which they call Brises) do raine. a 1618 Raleigh Apol. 19 When the Easterly wind or Breeses are kept off by some High Mountaines. 1626 Bacon Sylva §398 The great Brizes which the motion of the Air in great Circles..produceth. 1685 Phil. Trans. XV. 1148 There are continual Eastern winds under the line which they call Brises. 1706 Phillips, Brizes, or rather Breezes, certain Winds, which the motion of the Air in great circles doth produce, refrigerating those that live under the line. |
† 2. a. The cool wind that blows from the sea by day on tropical coasts. (This was on the Atlantic sea-board of tropical America an east or north-east wind, i.e. a breeze in sense 1; thence the name was extended to the ‘sea-breeze’ from any point of the compass.) Obs. exc. as in b.
| 1614 Raleigh Hist. World i. iii. §8 These hottest regions of the World..are..refreshed with a daily Gale of Easternly Wind (which the Spaniards call the Brize). a 1618 ― Inv. Shipping 39 Southerly winds (the Brises of our Clymate) thrust them..into the Kings ports. 1627 Capt. Smith Seaman's Gram. x. 46 A Breze is a wind blowes out of the Sea, and commonly in faire weather beginneth about nine in the morning. 1628 Digby Voy. Medit. 38 Intending to goe in in the morning with the brize. 1665 G. Havers P. della Valle's Trav. E. Ind. 373 Sending a breeze, or breath, or small gale of wind daily. 1696 Phillips, Breez, a fresh gale of wind blowing off the Sea by day. 1839 Thirlwall Greece II. 307 A strong breeze which regularly blew up the channel at a certain time of the day. |
b. Extended to include the counter-current of air that blows from the land by night; hence sea-breeze and land-breeze.
| a 1700 Dryden (J.) From land a gentle breeze arose by night. 1706 in Phillips. 1731 Bailey II, Breez, a fresh gale of wind blowing from the sea or land alternately for some certain hours of the day or night only sensible near the coast. 1782 Cowper Loss Royal George 9 A land-breeze shook the shrouds. 1832 Macaulay Armada 31 The freshening breeze of eve unfurled that banner's massy fold. |
3. a. A gentle or light wind: a breeze is generally understood to be a lighter current of air than a wind, as a wind is lighter than a gale. ‘Among seamen usually synonymous with wind in general’ (Smyth Sailor's Word-bk.).
| 1626 Capt. Smith Accid. Yng. Seamen 17 A calme, a brese, a fresh gaile. 1762 Falconer Shipwr. i. 350 The lesser sails that court a gentle breeze. 1798 Coleridge Anc. Mar. ii. v, The breezes blew, the white foam flew. 1863 C. St. John Nat. Hist. Moray vii. 167 The breeze was gentle, but sufficient to take us merrily over. |
b. Slang phrases: to hit, split or take the breeze: to depart; to get (have) or put the breeze up: to get or put the wind up (see wind n.1 10 b).
| 1910 ‘O. Henry’ Whirligigs xiv. 168 We got to be hittin' the breeze. 1925 Fraser & Gibbons Soldier & Sailor Words 35 Breeze up, to have the: to be nervous, to have the ‘wind up’. 1931 Runyon Guys & Dolls (1932) 29 And with this she takes the breeze and I return to the other room. 1934 D. L. Sayers Nine Tailors iii. 279 He got a vertical breeze up. 1948 D. Ballantyne Cunninghams 89 She was only making out she hadn't seen you so's you wouldn't get the breeze up. 1951 J. B. Priestley Fest. Farbridge 296 Put the breeze up me. 1959 I. & P. Opie Lore & Lang. Schoolch. x. 193 Expressions inviting a person's departure, for instance:..sling your hook, split the breeze, [etc.]. |
4. fig. a. A disturbance, quarrel, ‘row’. colloq.
| 1785 Grose Dict. Vulgar Tongue, To kick up a breeze, to breed a disturbance. 1803 Wellington Let. in Gurw. Disp. II. 367 The cession would create a breeze in the Konkan. 1811 ― ibid. VII. 320 There was an old breeze between General ― and ―. 1837 Marryat Dog-Fiend i. xv. (L.), Jemmy, who expected a breeze, told his wife to behave herself quietly. 1865 Sat. Rev. 28 Jan. 119 ‘Don't be angry, we've had our breeze. Shake hands.’ |
b. A breath of news, whisper, rumour. colloq.
| 1879 Stevenson Trav. Cevennes 215 There came a breeze that Spirit Séguier was near at hand. 1884 Denver (Colorado) Tribune Aug., Give us a breeze on the subject. |
c. slang. Something easy to achieve, handle, etc. orig. U.S.
| 1928 G. H. Ruth Babe Ruth's Own Bk. Baseball 299 Breeze, an easy chance. 1958 M. Dickens Man Overboard ix. 136 This will be a breeze for you. 1962 S. Carpenter in Into Orbit 75 All in all, the test was a breeze. |
5. Comb., as breeze-borne, breeze-like, breeze-shaken, breeze-swept, breeze-wooing, adjs.
| 1805 J. Grahame Sabbath, On the distant cairn the watch⁓man's ear Caught doubtfully at times the *breeze-borne note. |
| 1798–9 Coleridge Day-Dream ii. 5 A soft and *breeze-like feeling. 1802 Wordsw. To H.C., The breeze-like motion. |
| 1742 Young Nt. Th. ii. 300 Fate..hair-hung, *breeze-shaken, o'er the gulph A moment trembles. |
| 1872 Calverley Fly Leaves 4 Lingers on, till stars unnumber'd Tremble in the *breeze-swept tarn. 1894 G. Bell Safar Nameh 48 On the threshold of his breeze-swept dwelling. |
| c 1830 J. H. Green Morn. Invit. Child 22 The bee hums of heather and *breeze-wooing hill. |
▪ III. breeze, n.3
(briːz)
Also 9 breese, braize.
[Origin somewhat uncertain: prob. a. F. braise, OF. brese burning charcoal, hot embers, also ‘extinguished half-burned coal’ (Littré), as braise de boulanger baker's breeze.]
a. Small cinders and cinder-dust, used in burning bricks, etc.; small coke and coke-dust.
| 1726 Act 12 Geo. I, xxxv, Nor any Breeze be used in the burning of any Bricks for Sale. 1751 Chambers Cycl., Breeze, in brick-making, are small ashes and cinders, sometimes made use of instead of coals, for the burning of bricks. 1862 Act 25 & 26 Vic. c. 102 §89 If any person..carry away.. cinders, rubbish, ashes, or breeze from any houses. 1864 Athenæum No. 1928 466/3 Braize (or cinder taken from the scavenger's yard). 1875 Ure Dict. Arts I. 505 Breezes (Braise Fr.), the dust of coke or charcoal. The coke burner applies this term to the small residual coke obtained in coke burning. The sifted ashes removed from houses is called breeze, and sold under that name to brickmakers and others. 1884 R. R. Bowker in Harper's Mag. Apr. 777/1 Coke breeze (the refuse of gas-works). |
b. attrib., as breeze-block, a building-block made of ‘breeze’ (or some similar material) (see quot. 1923); so breeze-concrete.
| a 1877 Knight Dict. Mech. I. 367/1 Breeze-oven, a furnace adapted for burning coal-dust or breeze. 1923 Harmsworth's Househ. Encycl. I. 521/2 Breeze block. Fine cinders, crushed coke, furnace clinker and burnt brick are used under the name of breeze in the construction of blocks for housebuilding...Breeze-blocks are fire-resisting, light and porous, suited for partitions and other internal walling. 1930 E. J. P. Benn Account Rendered ii. 10 We put up breeze-block boxes to look like houses. 1930 Engineering 11 July 41/3 Breeze and clinker concrete. |
▪ IV. † breeze, v.1 Obs. rare.
[f. breeze n.1]
intr. To buzz as a breeze or gadfly.
| 1688 R. Holme Armory ii. ix. 191 The Brize, Breezeth, or Brilleth. |
▪ V. breeze, v.2
(briːz)
[f. breeze n.2]
1. a. intr. To blow gently, as a breeze. rare
| 1682 [see breezing]. 1809 J. Barlow Columb. iv. 624 The breathing airs..Breeze up the bay. |
b. colloq. To move or proceed briskly; to depart. So to breeze in: to arrive or enter briskly. orig. U.S.
| 1907 Chicago Even. Post 4 May 9 He breezed through the Louvre at such a pace that he broke all the rapid sight⁓seeing records. 1922 J. A. Dunn Man Trap ix. 129 If they show, breeze right along and forget me. 1923 Wodehouse Inimit. Jeeves iv. 51 ‘Ten o'clock, a clear night, and all's well, Jeeves,’ I said, breezing back into the good old suite. Ibid. xv. 204 To..warn young Bingo to turn his coat-collar up and breeze off snakily by some side exit. 1930 W. S. Maugham Bread-Winner i. 45 When did you breeze in, old bean? 1951 R. Campbell Light on Dark Horse 246 My favourite brother George..breezed in to look for me. |
2. to breeze up (Naut.): (of a wind) to freshen, to become stronger: also impers. Of a noise: to rise on the breeze.
| 1859 H. Kingsley G. Hamlyn xliv. (D.), The noise of the distant fight breezed up louder than ever. 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., Breezing up, the gale freshening. 1881 Clark Russell Sailor's Sweeth. III. vi. 292 Standing by the topsail halliards should it breeze up. |