Forms: 1 brúcan, 2 bruce(n, 2–3 bruke(n, brukien, 3–6 brouke, 4 brouk, 4–5 browke; also 3–5 broken, 3–6 broke, (4–5 brok), 5–7 brooke, 5– brook; 5–6 Sc. bruk (e (ü), 6 brwk, 6–8 bruik, 7 bruike. [OE. brúcan (pa. t. bréac, brucon, pple. ʓebrocen), a Com. Teut. verb, but found in the other langs. with weak conjugation: OFris. brûka, OS. brûcan (MDu. brûken, Du. bruiken), LG. brûken, OHG. brûhhan (MHG. brûchen, Ger. brauchen), Goth. brukjan:—OTeut. stem *bruk- ‘to make use of, have the enjoyment of, enjoy’:—Aryan *bhrug-, whence also L. fru-i (:—frugv-i), fruct-us in same sense. The strong pa. t. and pple. occur in OE., but no certain instance of either is known in ME.; 16th c. Scotch has the weak brooked, brooket, bruikit.
The phonetic history is unusual; the OE. brúcan, ME. bruken, brouke, would normally have given mod. browk; while the mod. brook, and Sc. bruik normally answer to a ME. brōken, found already, as a by-form, in Layamon.]
1. trans. To enjoy the use of, make use of, profit by; to use, enjoy, possess, hold. Obs. except Sc. in some legal phrases, and arch. in literature.
Beowulf, 894. Þæt he beah-hordes brucan moste.
a. 1000. Wanderer, 44 (in Sweet, Ags. Reader). Swa he … giefstoles breac.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 111. Þu ane ne brukest naut þinra welena.
c. 1205. Lay., 30308. Ne scal he nauere … kinehelme broken [c. 1275 brouke].
a. 1225. St. Marher., 19. Thu schalt an buten ende bruken blisse.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 2589. To bruke þair heritage in pais. Ibid., 2427 (Fairf.). Take here þi wife and brok [v.r. brouk, -e] hir wele.
c. 1440. Bone Flor., 1183. Syr Emere comawndyd every man To brooke wele the tresur that they wan.
1548. Compl. Scot., 86. Ihone kyng of ingland … brukit the realme tuenty ȝeirs.
1603. Jas. I., in Calderwood, Hist. Kirk, 256. I, as long as I brook my life, shall maintain the same.
1637. Rutherford, Lett., cxl. (1862), I. 334. Long may He brook it!
1707. Dk. Athol, in Vulpone, 21. To retain, enjoy or bruik and exerce all their Rights.
1828. Scott, F. M. Perth, xi. No man shall brook life after he has passed an affront on Douglas.
Mod. Sc. The langest leiver bruiks a’ (= the survivor has possession of everything).
† b. Formerly in asseverations: So (or as) brouke I my chyn, eyes, heid, etc.: so may I (or as I wish to) have the use of my eyes, etc.
c. 1175. Cott. Hom., 233. Swa ibruce ic mine rice ne scule ȝie mine mete ibite.
a. 1300. Havelok, 311. He shal [ben] king … So brouke I euere mi blake swire!
c. 1384. Chaucer, H. Fame, 273. For al-so browke I wel myn hede Ther may be vnder godelyhede Keuered many a shrewde vice. Ibid. (c. 1386), Nonne Pr. T., 480. So mot I brouke wel myn yen tway, Save ye, I herde never man so synge.
c. 1400. Gamelyn, 567. Than seyde the porter, ‘so brouke I my chyn, Ȝe schul sey your erand er ȝe comen in.’
c. 1460. Towneley Myst. 12. As browke I thise two shankys, It is full sore myne unthankys.
1591. Troub. Raigne K. John (1611), 29. Ill may I thriue, and nothing brooke with me, If shortly I present it not to thee.
† c. To brook a name (well): to bear it appropriately, do credit to it, act consistently with it. Obs.
1587. Harrison, England, II. v. (1877), 127. Would to God they might once brooke their name, Sans reproche.
a. 1600. Robin Hood (Ritson), II. xvi. 30. ‘Simon,’ said the good wife, ‘I wish thou mayest well brook thy name.’
1622. R. Hawkins, Voy. S. Sea (1847), 11. Henceforth shee should be called the Daintie; which name she brooked as well for her proportion and grace, as for the many happie voyages.
1655. Fuller, Ch. Hist., I. i. § 8. And well did he brook his Name.
† 2. To make use of (food); in later usage, to digest, retain, or bear on the stomach.
c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., John iv. 32. Ic mett hafo to bruccanne ðone ʓie ne uutton.
a. 1000. Ælfric, Gen. iii. 19. On swate ðines andwlitan ðu bricst ðines hlafes.
c. 1175. Cott. Hom., 221. Ælra þara þing þe on paradis beoð þu most bruce.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 53. Brooke mete or drynke … retineo vel digerendo retinere.
1540. Raynold, Byrth Mankynde, II. ix. (1634), 142. If she refuse or cannot brooke meat.
1561. Hollybush, Hom. Apoth., 32. Geue him a good draught of ye same … as hote as he can brouke it.
1598. W. Phillip, Linschoten’s Trav. Ind., in Arb., Garner, III. 26. So fat that men can hardly brook them.
† b. absol. Obs.
1473. Marg. Paston, Lett., III. 79. Water of mynte … were good for my cosyn to drynke for to make hym to browke.
c. fig. To digest mentally.
1548. Hall, Chron. (1809), 178. After the letter twise redde & wisely brooked.
3. To put up with, bear with, endure, tolerate [a fig. sense of ‘to stomach’ in 2]. Now only in negative or preclusive constructions.
1530. Palsgr., 471/2. He can nat brooke me of all men.
1583. Stubbes, Anat. Abus., II. 30. They cannot at any hand brooke or digest them that would counsel them to that.
1624. Capt. Smith, Virginia, IV. 115. I would deter such from comming here, that cannot well brooke labour.
1667. Milton, P. L., VI. 274. Heav’n … Brooks not the works of violence and War.
1752. Young, Brothers, II. i. Such insults are not brook’d by royal minds.
c. 1815. Jane Austen, Northang. Ab. (1833), II. xv. 208. The General could ill brook the opposition of his son.
c. 1854. Stanley, Sinai & Pal., v. (1858), 230. That haughty spirit that could brook no equal or superior.
† b. intr. To put up with. Obs.
1658. A. Fox, trans. Würtz’ Surg., II. i. 49. The Wound cannot brook with the Medicine.
† c. To find it agreeable to do something. Obs.
1604. E. Hake, No Gold, No G., in Farr’s S. P. (1848), 256. Few men brooke To helpe a man that is in need.
† 4. To brook up. [perh. a different word.] Obs.
1691. Ray, S. & E. C. Wds., 91. To Brook up, spoken of Clouds; when they draw together and threaten rain. [Also 1721 in Bailey.]
¶ Here probably an error for busked.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 25282. Þe bodi has nede of bath to bruked be wid mete and clath.
