noun
brawn
brawn
Brawn (noun) means Physical muscle and strength, especially as opposed to intelligence or skill. Example: “Moving the piano took more brawn than technique.”
noun
1
Physical muscle and strength, especially as opposed to intelligence or skill.
"Moving the piano took more brawn than technique."
"The job needs brains as well as brawn."
2
(British) A cold cooked dish made from pieces of meat from a pig or calf's head, set in jelly.
"His grandmother always served brawn with pickles at Christmas."
How to use brawn
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMuscle power, or (in Britain) a meaty jellied dish — two very different senses of the same word.
Common mistake
Don't confuse the food sense (a terrine) with the "muscle" sense — context makes it obvious, but they look identical.
Common pairings
brains and brawn
sheer brawn
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Word forms
- Plural
- brawns
- Third person singular
- brawns
- Past tense
- brawned
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Moving the piano took more _____ than technique.
Etymology
From Old French braon ("fleshy part of the body"), tracing back to a Germanic word for roasted meat.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for brawn
See all rhymes for brawn →Frequently asked questions
What does “brawn” mean?
The word “brawn” means physical muscle and strength, especially as opposed to intelligence or skill. In plain terms, muscle power, or (in Britain) a meaty jellied dish — two very different senses of the same word.
How do you pronounce “brawn”?
“Brawn” is pronounced brawn (/bɹɔn/ in IPA).
How do you use “brawn” in a sentence?
Here is “brawn” used in a sentence: “Moving the piano took more brawn than technique.”
What part of speech is “brawn”?
“Brawn” is a noun.
Where does the word “brawn” come from?
The word “brawn” comes from Old French. From Old French braon ("fleshy part of the body"), tracing back to a Germanic word for roasted meat.
How many meanings does “brawn” have?
“Brawn” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: physical muscle and strength, especially as opposed to intelligence or skill.
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