noun
briar
breye-uh
noun
1
A wild, thorny shrub or vine, such as a wild rose or bramble, that grows in tangled clumps.
"The path was overgrown with briars that scratched at our legs."
"A briar patch had taken over the back corner of the garden."
2
A tobacco pipe carved from the hard, gnarled root of a Mediterranean heath shrub.
"He kept an old briar on his desk, though he rarely smoked it anymore."
3
Something that causes trouble, irritation, or difficulty, used figuratively.
"That clause in the contract turned out to be a real briar for the legal team."
How to Use Briar
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA thorny wild bush, or (less commonly) a pipe made from one particular shrub's tough root.
Common pairings
briar patch
a tangle of briars
briar pipe
Word Forms
briars plural, briars plural
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The path was overgrown with _____ that scratched at our legs.
Etymology
From Old English brēr/brǣr, "briar, bramble" — a word whose deeper origins are uncertain, though it may be related to an old term for heather.