Obs. exc. Sc. Forms: 1 briw, 2 bri, 4–5 bre, 8– bree. [Derivation obscure: the ME. bre, mod.Sc. bree, may be the same as the earlier ME. bri, OE. briʓ, bríw, but the phonology is not clear, and the sense is not quite identical. (Bre might however represent *bréow, a possible variant of bríw; cf. níw, néow, etc.) OE. bríw, bríʓ masc. = OHG. brîo (brîw-), brî (MHG. brîe, brî, mod.Ger. brei), MLG. brîg, brî, MDu. brî, all masc. (Du. brij fem.):—OTeut. *brîwo-z: the Goth. *breiws is not exemplified, and the word is not in Scand. It cannot well be referred to brū, root of BREW, nor to brǣ-, brê-, to warm; Kluge suggests a root bri to cook.]
† 1. A thick pottage made of meal, pulse, etc. Obs.
c. 1000. Sax. Leechd., II. 88. Swa þicce swa briw. Ibid., 264. Wyrc him briw of wealwyrte moran.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Gram., ix. § 46. Hæc puls, ðes briw.
a. 1200. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 547/12. Puls, bri.
2. Broth, juice, liquor in which anything has been steeped or boiled, or which flows from it. Barley-bree: malt liquor. Herring-bree: herring-brine. Also fig.
c. 1420. Liber Cocorum, 17. Perboyle thyn oysturs … Kepe welle thy bre. Ibid., 49. In fat bre fresshe of befe I wene, Þay schalle be soþun.
1786. Burns, Sc. Drink, xiii. How easy can the barley-bree Cement the quarrel!
1861. Ramsay, Remin., Ser. II. 90. We wring ’t [the Lord’s Prayer], an’ we wring ’t, an’ the bree o’t washes a’ the lave o’ our prayers.
1865. Times, 24 April, 12/5. ‘Snow bree’ is unfavourable to angling.
† 3. fig. Water; the sea. Obs.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 3697. So þe bre and the brethe burbelit to gedur. Ibid., 12516. All the company … With þere shippes … were brent in the bre with the breme lowe of the leymonde laite, þat launchit fro heuyn.
