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Brah·ma 1 (brämə)
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n.
1. Hinduism
a. The creator god, conceived chiefly as a member of the triad including also Vishnu and Shiva.
b. Variant of Brahman.
2. Variant of Brahman.

[Sanskrit brahmā, from brahma, prayer.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Brah·ma 2 also brah·ma (brämə, brā-)
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n.
A large domestic chicken of a breed originating in Asia, having feathered legs, small wings, and a short tail.

[After Brahmaputra.]
(click for a larger image)
Brahma2
Dark Brahma rooster

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Brah·man (brämən)
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n.
1. also Brah·ma (-mə) Hinduism
a. The divine and absolute power of being that is the source and sustainer of the universe.
b. The divine universal consciousness pervading the universe and sustaining the souls of individual persons; Atman.
c. A religious formula or prayer and the holy or sacred power in it and in the officiating priest.
2. Variant of Brahmin..
3. also Brah·ma (-mə) or Brah·min (-mĭn) Any of a breed of beef cattle developed in the southern United States from stock originating in India and having a hump between the shoulders and a pendulous dewlap. They can tolerate heat and are often used for crossbreeding.
adj.
Variant of Brahmin.

[Sanskrit brahma, brahma-. Senses 2 and 3, from Sanskrit brāhmaa-, Brahmanic, from brahmā, brahma-, Brahman; see BRAHMA1.]

Brah·manic (-mănĭk), Brah·mani·cal adj.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.