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Bran

(brăn)

n.
Mythology

A gigantic Celtic hero and ruler of Britain. After he was mortally wounded in battle, his head was buried in London, where it served as a protection against invaders.

[Welsh Brân, from brân, raven.]

bran

(brăn)

The outer layers of the grain of cereals such as wheat, removed during the process of milling and used as a source of dietary fiber.

[Middle English, from Old French, of Celtic origin.]

branny adj.

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.

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