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brood  (brd)
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Tweet n. 1. The young of certain animals, especially a group of young birds hatched at one time and cared for together. 2. The children in one family. v. brood·ed, brood·ing, broods v.intr. 1. a. To focus the attention on a subject persistently and moodily; worry: brooded about his future; brooded over the insult for several days. b. To be depressed: All he seemed to do was sit and brood. 2. a. To sit on or hatch eggs. b. To protect developing eggs or young. 3. To hover envelopingly; hang: Mist brooded over the moor. v.tr. 1. To think about (something) persistently or moodily: brooded that her work might come to nothing. 2. a. To sit on or hatch (eggs). b. To protect (developing eggs or young). adj. Kept for breeding: a brood hen. [Middle English, from Old English brōd; see bhreu- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] brooding·ly adv. Synonyms: brood, dwell, fret1, mope, worry These verbs mean to turn something over in the mind moodily and at length: brooding about his decline in popularity; dwelled on her defeat; fretted over the loss of his job; moping about his illness; worrying about the unpaid bills. |
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