[prob. a. F. braverie the action of braving, f. braver to BRAVE, or ad. It. braveria, f. bravare to BRAVE.]
† 1. The action of braving or acting the bravo; daring, defiance; boasting, swaggering; bravado. A bravery: an act of bravado. In, upon, or for a bravery: in bravado, in defiance, in display of courage or daring, as a brag. Obs.
1548. Patten, Exped. into Scotl., in Arb., Garner, III. 98. The Scots continued their bravery on the hill.
1614. Raleigh, Hist. World, III. 93. The whole Campe (not perceiving that this was but a bravery) fled amaine.
a. 1631. Donne, Ess. Div. (1651), 63. No Man is an Atheist, however he pretend it and serve the Company with his Braveries.
1671. Milton, Samson, 1243. Ere long thou shalt lament These braveries, in irons loaden on thee.
1814. Southey, Roderick, XXIV. No time, said he, is this for bravery.
1577. Harrison, England, II. xii. (1877), 241. In a braverie to show what store he had.
1594. Nashe, Unfort. Trav., 14.
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turks (1621), 92. Certaine of the souldiers upon a bravarie adventured to mount the wall.
1614. Raleigh, Hist. World, III. 95. Hee made a stand, rather in a bravery, than with purpose to attempt … any further.
1666. Temple, Lett., Wks. 1731, II. 23. We sate for four Hours, and in Bravery I drank fair like all the rest.
2. Daring, courage, valor, fortitude (as a good quality). In earlier quotations not clearly separable from sense 1. (The ordinary current sense.)
1581. Sidney, Apol. Poetrie (Arb.), 56. He receiued more brauerie of minde, bye the patterne of Achilles, then by hearing the definition of Fortitude.
1613. J. H., Lives Norman Kings Eng., 150. Full of inward braverie and fiercenesse.
1732. Law, Serious C., xxiv. (1761), 465. The noblest bravery that an human mind is capable of.
1769. Junius Lett., i. 8. The bravery … of the Commander-in-chief.
1837. Ht. Martineau, Soc. Amer., III. 116. What can a woman be, or do, without bravery?
1859. Tennyson, Elaine, 113. Lancelot, the flower of bravery.
3. Display, show, ostentation; splendor.
1570. Holinshed, Scot. Chron. (1806), I. 29. Their apparel was not made for braverie & pompe.
1573. Tusser, Husb. (1878), 204. The brauerie of this world … likened is, to flowre of grasse.
1600. Holland, Livy, XXXIV. iv. 855 a. Wastfull and sumpteous bravery of women.
1673. Cave, Prim. Chr., I. vi. 144. The churches began to excel in costliness and bravery.
a. 1716. South, 12 Serm. (1717), III. 390. A Festival, designed chiefly for … joyfull Piety, but generally made only an occasion of Bravery.
1843. Prescott, Mexico, VI. i. (1864), 338. All their wonted bravery of apparel.
1874. C. Geikie, Life Woods, v. 73. The leaves are in all their bravery.
b. concr. Finery, fine clothes; = Sc. BRAWS.
1563. Homilies, II. vi. (1859), 309. Preparing ourselves in fine bravery, to wanton, lewd, and unchaste behaviour.
1591. Spenser, M. Hubberd, 608. All the braverie that eye may see.
a. 1618. Raleigh, Rem. (1644), 100. Exceed not in the humour of rags and bravery.
1636. Sympson, Law-breakers. Have I borrowed the forehorse bells, his plumes, his braveries.
1862. Times, 26 June, 11/1. He did not see the tens of thousands trooping in their decent Sunday bravery.
1870. Morris, Earthly Par., I. I. 86. There stood our guide, decked out with braveries.
† c. An adornment, an embellishment. Obs.
1577. Holinshed, Chron., I. 55/1. Such painting of their bodies … they esteemed a great brauerie.
1599. Hakluyt, Voy., I. I. 224. They vse for a brauerie to make great holes in their eares. Ibid. (1810), III. 598. Their teeth are all filed, which they doe for a braverie.
† d. A thing of beauty or interest, a thing to exhibit. Obs.
1583. Golding, Calvin on Deut. cvi. 650. A relike to be showed for a brauerie.
1650. Fuller, Pisgah, 426. Two eminent braveries, First, the Golden Vine … The other was that Golden Eagle.
1657. W. Coles, Adam in Eden, To Rdr. What fairer objects … than these painted Braveries?
† e. A fine thing, a matter to boast or be proud of. Obs.
a. 1626. Bp. Andrewes, Pattern Catech. Doct. (1846), 150. In a vain glory we think it a bravery and a magnificent thing to swear.
1638. Ford, Fancies, II. i. 145. ’Twere a bravery, Could you forget the place.
† 4. Mere show, ostentatious pretence. Obs.
1628. Hobbes, Thucyd. (1822), 93. This is not now rather a bravery of words … than real truth.
a. 1640. Massinger, Old Law, II. i. Worth itself is lost, And bravery stands for ’t.
1681. Burnet, Hist. Ref., II. 241. [They] measured counsels more by the bravery than the solidity of them.
† 5. A gallant, a beau; also collect. gallants, grandees, chivalry. Obs.
1609. B. Jonson, Sil. Wom., I. iii. (1616), 536. Hee is one of the Braueries, though he be none o’ the Wits.
1633. Massinger, City Mad., II. i. Sitting at the table with The braveries of the kingdom.
a. 1652. Brome, Queene’s Exch., I. ii. Whole Sholes of upstart Braveries.
a. 1670. Hacket, Abp. Williams (1692), I. 162 (D.). The Grandees also, and others of the Castilian Bravery.
