a. Also 6–7 brawney, -ie. [f. BRAWN sb. + -Y1.]
1. Characterized by muscle or muscular strength.
1599. Marston, Sco. Villanie, II. v. 195. O, brawny strength is an all-canning charme.
a. 1644. Quarles, Argument, in Farr’s S. P. (1848), 134. Would any strive with Samson for renowne, Whose brawney arme can strike most pillars down?
1741. Watts, Improv. Mind (1801), 346. Samson and Goliath would have lost … their brawny limbs, in the course of half a century.
1842. Longf., Vill. Blacksmith, i. The muscles of his brawny arms Are strong as iron bands.
† b. Of a fruit: ? Fleshy. Obs.
c. 1420. Pallad. on Husb., III. 742. Oxe dounge about her rootes … The pomes sadde and brawny wol it gete.
2. Characterized by hardened skin.
1613. Life Will. I., in Select. Harl. Misc. (1793), 26. After her death, her knees appeared brawny and hard, with much kneeling at her devotions.
c. 1638. Mede, Wks., III. 678. That which is seared, becomes more hard and brawny.
1702. Echard, Eccl. Hist. (1710), 335. His knees became hard and brawny as a Camels.
1879. T. Bryant, Pract. Surg., II. 252. The disease appears as a brawny infiltration of the breast.
† 3. fig. Callous, hardened, unfeeling. Obs.
1596. Bp. Barlow, 3 Serm., i. 43. If his heart yarne not, it is brawnie.
a. 1638. Mede, Apost. Later Times, 118. A hard and a brawny Conscience, which hath no feeling in it.
a. 1694. Tillotson, Serm., clxxv. (1743), IX. 4105. Some men … by sin … bring themselves into a brawny and insensible condition.
4. Comb., chiefly parasynthetic, as brawny-chined, -fisted, -hearted, -limbed, etc.
a. 1639. W. Whateley, Prototypes, II. xxxiv. (1640), 165. So brawney-hearted, that they would but laugh at Christ himselfe if he should bid them weepe.
1725. Pope, Odyss., XX. 204. Three porkers for the feast, all brawny-chined, He brought.
1870. Daily News, 14 Nov., 6/3. Of all the ladies of Belleville they are the strongest-minded, the strongest-armed, the brawniest-fisted.
