Hypertext Webster Gateway: "brief"

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Brief \Brief\, a. [OE. bref, F. brief, bref, fr. L. brevis; akin
to Gr. ? short, and perh. to Skr. barh to tear. Cf. {Breve}.]
1. Short in duration.

How brief the life of man. --Shak.

2. Concise; terse; succinct.

The brief style is that which expresseth much in
little. --B. Jonson.

3. Rife; common; prevalent. [Prov. Eng.]

{In brief}. See under {Brief}, n.

Syn: Short; concise; succinct; summary; compendious;
condensed; terse; curt; transitory; short-lived.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Brief \Brief\, adv.
1. Briefly. [Obs. or Poetic]

Adam, faltering long, thus answered brief. --Milton.

2. Soon; quickly. [Obs.] --Shak.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Brief \Brief\ (br[=e]f), n. [See {Brief}, a., and cf. {Breve}.]
1. A short concise writing or letter; a statement in few
words.

Bear this sealed brief, With winged hastle, to the
lord marshal. --Shak.

And she told me In a sweet, verbal brief. --Shak.

2. An epitome.

Each woman is a brief of womankind. --Overbury.

3. (Law) An abridgment or concise statement of a client's
case, made out for the instruction of counsel in a trial
at law. This word is applied also to a statement of the
heads or points of a law argument.

It was not without some reference to it that I
perused many a brief. --Sir J.
Stephen.

Note: In England, the brief is prepared by the attorney; in
the United States, counsel generally make up their own
briefs.

4. (Law) A writ; a breve. See {Breve}, n., 2.

5. (Scots Law) A writ issuing from the chancery, directed to
any judge ordinary, commanding and authorizing that judge
to call a jury to inquire into the case, and upon their
verdict to pronounce sentence.

6. A letter patent, from proper authority, authorizing a
collection or charitable contribution of money in
churches, for any public or private purpose. [Eng.]

{Apostolical brief}, a letter of the pope written on fine
parchment in modern characters, subscribed by the
secretary of briefs, dated ``a die Nativitatis,'' i. e.,
``from the day of the Nativity,'' and sealed with the ring
of the fisherman. It differs from a bull, in its
parchment, written character, date, and seal. See {Bull}.


{Brief of title}, an abstract or abridgment of all the deeds
and other papers constituting the chain of title to any
real estate.

{In brief}, in a few words; in short; briefly. ``Open the
matter in brief.'' --Shak.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Brief \Brief\, v. t.
To make an abstract or abridgment of; to shorten; as, to
brief pleadings.

From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)

brief
adj 1: of short duration or distance; "a brief stay in the
country"; "in a little while"; "it's a little way
away" [syn: {little}]
2: concise and succinct; "covered the matter in a brief
statement"
3: (of clothing) very short; "an abbreviated swimsuit"; "a
brief bikini" [syn: {abbreviated}]
n 1: a document stating the facts and points of law of a client's
case [syn: {legal brief}]
2: a condensed written summary or abstract
v : give essential information to someone; "The reporters were
briefed about the President's plan to invade"


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