Also 5–8 bragg(e, 6 braggue. [The etymology of BRAG sb.1, vb., adj., and their mutual relations are uncertain. There are several related words in 16th-c. French, braguer ‘to flaunt, brave, brag,’ bragueur, braguerie; bragard ‘gay, gallant, braggard, braggadochio-like,’ bragarder ‘to brave it, to brag, vaunt,’ bragardise, etc. (all in Cotgr.); but as these appear so late, while some of the Eng. words go back to 1300, the latter cannot be referred to a French origin (though the later braggart and braggery may). The words are not in other Romanic langs., and their origin has been variously sought in Celtic and in Norse: see Diez. It is doubtful whether the adj. or sb. is the earlier in Eng.; both appear before the vb. The order of senses is also uncertain.
Diez conjectured that the Fr. might be from ON. brak ‘creaking noise’ (Sw. brak bounce, Da. brag), braka (Da. brage) ‘to creak, crack, insolenter se gerere’ Haldorss.; others have suggested ON. bragr ‘the best, the foremost, the boast or toast (of anything)’; also ‘poetry.’ See Diez, Wedgwood, Skeat.]
† 1. A loud noise, the bray of a trumpet. (Cf. BRAG v. 1.) Obs.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, IX. viii. 105. Bot than the trumpettis weirly blastis aboundis, Wyth terribill brag of brasin bludy soundis.
2. Arrogant or boastful language (in earlier examples usually in phrase brag and boast); boasting, boastful assertion. (Phrase French brag, common in 16th c.: also used in sense 3.)
c. 1360. Know Thyself, in E. E. P. (1862), 132. Vr bost vr brag is sone ouerbide.
1387. Trevisa, Higden, Rolls Ser. III. 427. [These words] haveþ more of brag and of boost.
c. 1440. York Myst., xlvi. 225. His bragge and his boste is he besie to bid vs.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, XI. vii. 127. With brag and bost [v.r. braik and boist] or wapynnis, he Me doith awayt.
1548. Udall, etc., Erasm. Par. Luke xxiv. 53. Not makyng vauntes and braggues of their weorkes.
1548. Hall, Chron. (1809), 192. Melune … and diuere other tounes, yelded and turned at a proude crake, or a Frenche bragge, without stroke striken.
1600. Shaks., A. Y. L., V. ii. 34. Cesars Thrasonicall bragge of I came, saw, and ouercome.
1753. Richardson, Grandison (1781), IV. 242. My Uncle … sometimes reminds me of what he calls my former brags.
1877. Mrs. Oliphant, Makers Flor., xv. 354. He has thus held his place … not without a certain brag of his strength.
b. in proverb.
1618. Barnevelt’s Apol., E iv b. Bragge is a good Dog still.
1752. Johnson, Rambl., No. 197, ¶ 3. When I envied the finery of any of my neighbours, [my mother] told me that ‘Brag was a good dog, but Holdfast was a better.’
† 3. Show, pomp, display; pompous demeanor or carriage. Obs.
1494. Fabyan, VI. ccxii. 227. The bragge or pompe of the worlde.
a. 1553. Udall, Royster D. (Arb.), 48. Ye must haue a portely bragge after your estate … Vp man with your head and chin.
1577. Holinshed, Chron., III. 850/1. They were all French in apparell, yea, and in French vices and brags.
1632. G. Herbert, Temple, Content. The brags of life are but a nine days wonder.
4. concr. That which is boasted of; the ‘boast.’
1538. Leland, Itin., II. 52. This [the Fair is] one of the Bragges of the Toun.
1634. Milton, Comus, 745. Beauty is nature’s brag.
5. A person who brags, a braggart, a boaster.
1671. J. Webster, Metallogr., xv. 233. They [Chymists] are nothing but vain and ignorant brags.
1881. Evans, Leicester., Gloss. (E.D.S.), Brag, a boaster.
6. A game at cards, essentially identical with the modern game of ‘poker.’ The name is taken from the ‘brag’ or challenge given by one of the players to the rest to turn up cards equal in value to his. See also quotations. Also attrib., as in brag-party.
1734. Seymour, Compl. Gamester, 20. The main Thing by which the second Stake is to be won, is called the Brag, which … gives the Game its Denomination.
1749. H. Walpole, Lett. H. Mann (1834), II. cxcix. 265. Methodism is more fashionable than anything but brag; the women play very deep at both.
1822. Encycl. Brit., s.v., A pair of aces is the best brag, a pair of kings the next, and so on.
1855. Geo. Eliot, in Cross, Life (1885), I. 356. One night we attempted ‘Brag’ or ‘Pocher.’
1859. J. Lang, Wand. India, 16. Two young gentlemen were victimized last night at the brag party.
b. fig. with a reference to sense 2. To play a game of brag: to try which can impose on or get the better of the other by boasting.
1883. Fortn. Rev., Dec., 895. The two countries may be still only engaged in a game of brag.
