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broth·er (brŭthər)
Share:
n. pl. broth·ers
1. A male having the same parents as another or one parent in common with another.
2. pl. also breth·ren(brĕthrən) One who shares a common ancestry, allegiance, character, or purpose with another or others, especially:
a. A kinsman.
b. A fellow man.
c. A fellow member, as of a fraternity, trade union, or panel of judges on a court.
d. A close male friend; a comrade.
e. A fellow African American man or boy.
3. pl. also brethren Something, such as a corporation or institution, that is regarded as a member of a class: “A station that ... relies on corporate contributions or advertising to survive runs the risk of becoming virtually indistinguishable from its commercial brethren” (W. John Moore).
4.
a. Abbr. Br. or Bro. A lay member of a religious order of men.
b. pl. also brethren A fellow member of the Christian church.
[Middle English, from Old English brōthor; see bhrāter- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]
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.

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