Also 7 bruit(e. [a. F. brut, fem. brute:—L. brūtus heavy, dull, irrational (Sp. bruto, It. bruto sb.). Some of the senses are probably directly from, or at least influenced by, the Latin.]
A. adj. (Now often an attrib. use of the sb.)
1. Of animals: Wanting in reason or understanding; chiefly in phrases brute beasts, the brute creation, = the ‘lower animals.’
c. 1460–70. Bk. Quintessence, 11. Fro fleisch of alle brute beestis.
1494. Fabyan, VII. ccxxii. 246. Great moreyne fell vpon brute bestes.
1580. Lupton, Sivqila, 55. More senselesse, than ye senselest or brutest beast in the world.
1611. Bible, Pref., 1. Bruit-beasts led with sensualitie.
1613. Withers, Abuses Stript, I. v. in Juvenilia (1633), 42. Viler than the brutest creature.
1667. Milton, P. L., X. 495. The brute Serpent in whose shape Man I deceav’d.
1703. Rowe, Fair Penit., III. i. Whose bounteous Hand feeds the whole Brute Creation.
1732. Berkeley, Alciphr., I. § 13. To degrade human-kind to a level with brute beasts.
1832. G. Downes, Lett. Cont. Countries, I. 46. Not a being, human or brute, appeared.
1849. W. Irving, Mahomed, x. (1853), 59. The very brute animals were charmed to silence.
2. Of human beings, their actions, and attributes: Brute-like, brutish; dull, senseless, stupid; unintelligent, unreasoning, uninstructed; sensual.
1535. T. Bedyl, in Strype, Eccl. Mem., I. II. App. lv. I suppose many of the curates to be so brute, that they would read or speake every word, as it was written.
a. 1618. Sylvester, Mem. Mortalitie, II. xxxix. Man (alas!) is bruter than a Brute.
1641. Milton, Ch. Govt., i. (1851), 100. Their owne brute inventions. Ibid. (1645), Tetrach. (1851), 159. Which should preserve it in love and reason, and difference it from a brute conjugality.
1812. Southey, in Q. Rev., VIII. 321. The deplorable doctrines of brute materialism.
1870. Bowen, Logic, viii. 238. A black skin is not an invariable sign of a brute intellect.
b. Rough, rude, wanting in sensibility.
1555. Fardle Facions, II. x. 210. Their behauour was in the beginning very brute.
1645. Milton, Colast., Wks. (1851), 373. As to this brute Libel.
1702. Rowe, Ambit. Step-Mother, Prol. 7 (J.).
| The Brute Philosopher, who ne’er has prov’d | |
| The Joy of Loving or of being Lov’d. |
3. Of things: Not possessing or connected with reason, intelligence or sensation; irrational, unconscious, senseless; merely material; esp. in brute matter, brute force.
1540. Morysine, trans. Vives’ Introd. Wysd., B v b. Nature, reason, and comlynes commaunde the sayde body to be subjecte as a thynge brute, to that that dyeth never.
1611. Guillim, Heraldry, III. V. 97. By brute natures I understand all essences … that are meerely void of life.
1646. Evance, Noble Ord., 37. Jehu, and Nebucadnezar weare but brute instruments to worke Gods purposes.
1692. Bentley, Boyle Lect., viii. 259. Brute inanimate Matter.
1712. Blackmore, Creation, I. (1736), 6. Who … believe That the brute earth unguided should embrace The only … proper place.
1736. Butler, Anal., I. iii. 82. A tendency to prevail over brute force.
1836–7. Sir W. Hamilton, Metaph. (1877), I. ii. 36. The necessary results of a brute mechanism.
1860. Adler, Fauriel’s Prov. Poetry, xx. 455. Our Sanctuaries are nothing but brute stone, and still they weep.
1866. Kingsley, Herew., viii. 141. The land has been changed by the brute forces of nature.
† b. Of inarticulate sound. c. Of thunder: = BRUTISH 4. Obs.
1642. Rogers, Naaman, 62. The workes alone are a brute sound, and have no tongue in them.
1656. Cowley, Davideis, IV. (1669), 144. They [the curses] with brute sound, dissolv’d into the air. Ibid., 154, note. Brute, That signified nothing. So Thunders from whence the Ancients could collect no Prognostications, were called Brute Thunders.
4. Of surfaces: Rugged; unpolished. rare.
1627. Drayton, Agincourt (1748), 7. The shire whose surface seems most brute, Darby.
1804. Southey, in Ann. Rev., II. 527. The value of the brute diamond.
B. sb.
1. One of the lower animals as distinguished from man: a brute creature.
1611. Heywood, Gold. Age, I. i. Wks. 1874, III. 15. Worse then a bruit, for bruits preserue their own.
1667. Milton, P. L., VIII. 441. My Image not imparted to the Brute.
1712. Pope, Spect., No. 408, ¶ 4. Man seems to be placed as the middle Link between Angels and Brutes.
1724. Watts, Logic (1736), 91. Life … attributed to Plants, to Brutes, and to Men.
a. 1876. J. H. Newman, Hist. Sk., I. I. iv. 164. Brutes … cannot invent, cannot progress.
b. The animal nature in man. (Cf. BEAST 1 c.)
1784. Burns, Stanzas in Prosp. Death, 15. Again exalt the brute and sink the man.
2. A man resembling a brute in want of intelligence, cruelty, coarseness, sensuality, etc. Now (colloq.) often merely a strong term of reprobation or aversion, and sometimes extended to things.
1670. Cotton, Espernon, III. XI. 538. These Bruits incapable of Reason, were exasperated at the very name of Punishment.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe (1840), II. xiii. 278. The great fat brute thought it below him. Ibid. (1722), Relig. Courtsh., i. iii. (1840), 117. I was a brute for living in that horrid manner.
1752. Chesterf., Lett., III. ccxcii. 340. That northern Brute, the King of Sweden!
1766. Anstey, New Bath Guide, viii. 49. Their Husbands, those Brutes … swear they will never set Foot here again.
1876. Geo. Eliot, Dan. Der., I. xii. 224. The brute of a cigar required relighting.
1878. Miss Broughton, Cometh up as Fl. viii. 80. He would be a pretty brute.
1885. Mrs. Oliphant, Madam, I. v. 67. Women can’t try their husbands for being brutes.
C. attrib. and comb., as brute-man, -minded, -mindedness, -shadow, -worship; † brute-beastish, -like adj. and adv.; brute-bastille (nonce-wd.), a menagerie; brute-buried a., buried like a brute.
1845. Hood, Monkey Mart., v. To look around upon this *brute-bastille.
1530. Palsgr., 307/1. *Brute beestysshe … bruste.
1822. Hood, Lycus the Cent., 247. Let me utterly be *Brute-buried.
1813. Byron, Giaour, 52. Man … should … trample, *brute-like, o’er each flower.
1862. Lytton, Str. Story, II. 47. His brute-like want of sympathy with his kind.
1852. Tupper, Proverb. Philos., 296. Hath … the *brute-man more than instinct?
1843. Carlyle, Past & Pr., 271. Where thou findest Ignorance, Stupidity, *Brute-mindedness, [etc.].
1822. Hood, Lycus the Cent., 123. Lest a *brute shadow should grow at my feet.
1738. Warburton, Div. Legat., I. 284. The Original of *Brute-worship.
