Obs. exc. north. dial. Forms: 1 brǽdu, -o (acc. brǽde), 2–3 bræde, breade, 3–7 brede, (4 brade, 5 brēd), 4–6 breede, 6–7 breed, breade, (7 braid), 5– Sc. breid, (6 breyde). [OE. brǽdu, -o; corresp. to OFris. brêde, LG. brêde, OHG. breitî, MHG. and mod.G. breite, ON. breidd (Sw. bred, Da. brede), Goth. braidei:—OTeut. *braidjôn-, abstr. sb. f. *braido-z, in OE. brâd BROAD. In the 16th c. it began to be spelt breade, but this form was not established before the word was itself superseded in Eng. use by the new formation bredeth, BREADTH. Brede still survives in north Eng. dialects, and in Sc., where it is usually written breid (brid): cf. ABREID.]

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  1.  Breadth, width.

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a. 1000.  Ags. Psalms cxvii[iix]. 45. Ic on bealde brædu [Vulg. in latitudine] gange.

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1297.  R. Glouc., 385. Þat folc of Ssropssyre … robbede Wurcestre ssyre in lengþe & in brede.

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c. 1320.  Syr Bevis, 536. Neither alingthe ne on brade.

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c. 1380.  Wyclif, Sel. Wks., III. 89. Twenti cubitis longe and ten of breede.

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c. 1400.  Maundev., ix. 100. In brede 150 Furlonges.

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1562.  J. Heywood, Prov. & Epigr. (1867), 142. Not the breade of one heare.

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1551.  Turner, Herbal (1568), B j a. The stalke is a hand brede hygher.

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1875.  Robinson, Whitby Gloss, s.v., ‘Quite full abrede,’ sufficient in breadth.

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  b.  Acre brede: the breadth of an acre, i.e., 4 poles or perches, also called a fur-brede (cf. furlong). A brede of underwood, etc.: a slice of an acre-brede, or 4 poles broad, by 1 pole long.

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c. 1470.  Henry, Wallace, I. 400. Þe suerd flaw fra hym a fur breid on ye land.

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1523.  Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. ccccxx. 736. One coulde nat se an acre of brede. Ibid. (1525), II. clxxxvii. [clxxxiv.] 573. An acre brede of lande of fro the kynge.

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1677.  Plot, Oxfordsh., 262. Dividing them … into Acres and Braids (or bredths), every Acre containing forty braids, a braid being one pole long and four broad.

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  2.  A piece of stuff of the full breadth.

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1554.  Bury Wills (1850), 144. Oon paire of fyne shetis of ij bredes and a halfe, and oon paier of two bredes.

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1578.  Inventories (1815), 211 (Jam.). Of claith of silver … contening threttie lang breiddis, sevin schort breidis.

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1855.  Whitby Gloss., Breeds, breadths of cloth.

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Mod. Sc.  How monie breids will ye put in the skirt?

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  3.  In, on, a brede, mod.Sc. A-BREID: abroad.

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[c. 1205.  Lay., 21995. He is imeten a bræde fif & twenti foten.]

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a. 1300.  E. E. Psalter cxviii. [ix]. 45. I yhode in brede.

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c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, 3022. The here of hir hede … bost out vppon brede bright on to loke.

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c. 1460.  Towneley Myst. (1836), 1. Make we hevene and erth, on brede.

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1526.  Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 208 b. In brede it extended the armes.

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1535.  Stewart, Cron. Scot., II. 610. Tha landis all on breid.

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1787.  Burns, Salut. Auld Mare, xii. Spread abreed thy weel-fill’d brisket.

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1816.  Scott, Antiq., II. 245 (Jam.). The prophecy got abread in the country.

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