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brusque also brusk

(brŭsk)

adj.

Abrupt and curt in manner or speech; discourteously blunt. See Synonyms at gruff.

[French, lively, fierce, from Italian brusco, coarse, rough, from Late Latin brūscum, perhaps blend of Latin rūscus, butcher's broom, and Late Latin brūcus, heather; see BRIAR¹.]

brusquely adv.

brusqueness n.

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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