▪ I. brayer1
(ˈbreɪə(r))
[f. bray v.1 + -er1.]
One who brays; esp. an ass.
| 1598 Florio, Russo..a snorter, a brayer, one that is hoarse. 1728 Pope Dunciad ii. 246 Sound forth, my Brayers, and the welkin rend. 1876 G. Roslyn Geo. Eliot in Derbysh. 54 She had a pony and he had a donkey. He could not make the brayer go. |
▪ II. brayer2 Printing.
(ˈbreɪə(r))
[f. bray v.2 + -er1.]
A wooden muller or pestle used to rub down and temper the ink.
| 1688 R. Holme Armory ii. iii. 56 Brayer, is a round wooden Rubber, flat at the bottom, it is used in the Inke⁓block to Bray and Rub Inke. 1824 J. Johnson Typogr. II. 524 He brings forward a small quantity of ink..which he rubs well with the brayer. |
Hence ˈbrayer v. trans. To spread or rub fine.
| 1824 J. Johnson Typogr. II. 524 Care should be observed not to brayer out much [ink] at a time. |
▪ III. brayer3
(ˈbreɪə(r))
[Deriv. uncertain: cf. F. brayer in various technical senses; or ? bray v.2]
Part of a compound lever for raising or depressing the ‘runner’ or upper grindstone in a corn-mill, being the transverse piece which supports the end of the ‘bridge-tree’.
| 1770 J. Ferguson Lect. (1805) I. 83 The end S is let into a beam Q R, called the brayer. 1822 J. Imison Sc. & Art I. 69 The end M of the brayer is raised or depressed at pleasure. |