brier

6 definitions found

brier - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Brier \Bri"er\, Briar \Bri"ar\ (br[imac]"[~e]r), n. [OE. brere,
     brer, AS. br[=e]r, br[ae]r; cf. Ir. briar prickle, thorn,
     brier, pin, Gael. preas bush, brier, W. prys, prysg.]
     1. A plant with a slender woody stem bearing stout prickles;
        especially, species of Rosa, Rubus, and Smilax.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Fig.: Anything sharp or unpleasant to the feelings.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The thorns and briers of reproof.     --Cowper.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Brier root, the root of the southern Smilax laurifolia
        and Smilax Walteri; -- used for tobacco pipes. See also
        2nd brier.
  
     Cat brier, Green brier, several species of Smilax
        (Smilax rotundifolia, etc.)
  
     Sweet brier (Rosa rubiginosa). See Sweetbrier.
  
     Yellow brier, the Rosa Eglantina.
        [1913 Webster]

  Brier \Bri"er\, n.
     1. the white heath Erica arborea. --RHUD.
        [PJC]
  
     2. a smoking pipe made of the root of the brier[1].
  
     Note: Brierroot seems to have been used formerly as a term
           meaning root of the Smilax laurifolia and is now
           defined as root of the Erica arborea. Not clear when
           this changed. -- PJC.
           [PJC]

brier - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  brier
      n 1: tangled mass of prickly plants [syn: brier, brierpatch,
           brier patch]
      2: a thorny stem or twig
      3: Eurasian rose with prickly stems and fragrant leaves and
         bright pink flowers followed by scarlet hips [syn:
         sweetbrier, sweetbriar, brier, briar, eglantine,
         Rosa eglanteria]
      4: a very prickly woody vine of the eastern United States
         growing in tangled masses having tough round stems with shiny
         leathery leaves and small greenish flowers followed by
         clusters of inedible shiny black berries [syn: bullbrier,
         greenbrier, catbrier, horse brier, horse-brier,
         brier, briar, Smilax rotundifolia]
      5: evergreen treelike Mediterranean shrub having fragrant white
         flowers in large terminal panicles and hard woody roots used
         to make tobacco pipes [syn: tree heath, briar, brier,
         Erica arborea]

brier - Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary :

  Brier
  This word occurs frequently, and is the translation of several
  different terms. (1.) Micah 7:4, it denotes a species of thorn
  shrub used for hedges. In Prov. 15:19 the word is rendered
  "thorn" (Heb. _hedek_, "stinging"), supposed by some to be what
  is called the "apple of Sodom" (q.v.).
  
    (2.) Ezek. 28:24, _sallon'_, properly a "prickle," such as is
  found on the shoots of the palm tree.
  
    (3.) Isa. 55:13, probably simply a thorny bush. Some,
  following the Vulgate Version, regard it as the "nettle."
  
    (4.) Isa. 5:6; 7:23-25, etc., frequently used to denote thorny
  shrubs in general. In 10:17; 27:4, it means troublesome men.
  
    (5.) In Heb. 6:8 the Greek word (tribolos) so rendered means
  "three-pronged," and denotes the land caltrop, a low throny
  shrub resembling in its spikes the military "crow-foot." Comp.
  Matt. 7:16, "thistle."

brier - U.S. Gazetteer (1990) :

  Brier, WA (city, FIPS 7940)
    Location: 47.79250 N, 122.27169 W
    Population (1990): 5633 (1822 housing units)
    Area: 5.5 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
    Zip code(s): 98036

brier - Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 :

  43 Moby Thesaurus words for "brier":
     adherent, adhesive, barnacle, bramble, brier bush, bristle,
     bulldog, burr, bush, cactus, catchweed, cement, cleavers, decal,
     decalcomania, glue, goose grass, gunk, leech, limpet, molasses,
     mucilage, needle, nettle, paste, pine needle, plaster, prickle,
     quill, remora, scrub, shrub, shrubbery, spicule, spiculum, spike,
     spikelet, spine, sticker, syrup, thistle, thorn, yucca