Hypertext Webster Gateway: "brother"
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary (easton)
Brother
(1.) In the natural and common sense (Matt. 1:2; Luke 3:1, 19).
(2.) A near relation, a cousin (Gen. 13:8; 14:16; Matt. 12:46;
John 7:3; Acts 1:14; Gal. 1:19).
(3.) Simply a fellow-countryman (Matt. 5:47; Acts 3:22; Heb.
7:5).
(4.) A disciple or follower (Matt. 25:40; Heb. 2:11, 12).
(5.) One of the same faith (Amos 1:9; Acts 9:30; 11:29; 1 Cor.
5:11); whence the early disciples of our Lord were known to each
other as brethren.
(6.) A colleague in office (Ezra 3:2; 1 Cor. 1:1; 2 Cor. 1:1).
(7.) A fellow-man (Gen. 9:5; 19:7; Matt. 5:22, 23, 24; 7:5;
Heb. 2:17).
(8.) One beloved or closely united with another in affection
(2 Sam. 1:26; Acts 6:3; 1 Thess. 5:1). Brethren of Jesus (Matt.
1:25; 12:46, 50: Mark 3:31, 32; Gal. 1:19; 1 Cor. 9:5, etc.)
were probably the younger children of Joseph and Mary. Some have
supposed that they may have been the children of Joseph by a
former marriage, and others that they were the children of Mary,
the Virgin's sister, and wife of Cleophas. The first
interpretation, however, is the most natural.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Brother \Broth"er\ (br[u^][th]"[~e]r), n.; pl. {Brothers}
(br[u^][th]"[~e]rz) or {Brethren} (br[e^][th]"r[e^]n). See
{Brethren}. [OE. brother, AS. br[=o][eth]or; akin to OS.
brothar, D. broeder, OHG. pruodar, G. bruder, Icel.
br[=o][eth]ir, Sw. & Dan. broder, Goth. br[=o][thorn]ar, Ir.
brathair, W. brawd, pl. brodyr, Lith. brolis, Lett. brahlis,
Russ. brat', Pol. & Serv. brat, OSlav. bratr[u^], L. frater,
Skr. bhr[=a]t[.r], Zend bratar brother, Gr. fra`thr, fra`twr,
a clansman. The common plural is {Brothers}; in the solemn
style, {Brethren}, OE. pl. brether, bretheren, AS. dat. sing.
br[=e][eth]er, nom. pl. br[=o][eth]or, br[=o][eth]ru.
[root]258. Cf. {Friar}, {Fraternal}.]
1. A male person who has the same father and mother with
another person, or who has one of them only. In the latter
case he is more definitely called a half brother, or
brother of the half blood.
Two of us in the churchyard lie, My sister and my
brother. --Wordsworth.
2. One related or closely united to another by some common
tie or interest, as of rank, profession, membership in a
society, toil, suffering, etc.; -- used among judges,
clergymen, monks, physicians, lawyers, professors of
religion, etc. ``A brother of your order.'' --Shak.
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers, For he
to-day that sheds his blood with me Shall be my
brother. --Shak.
3. One who, or that which, resembles another in distinctive
qualities or traits of character.
He also that is slothful in his work is brother to
him that is a great waster. --Prov. xviii.
9.
That April morn Of this the very brother.
--Wordsworth.
Note: In Scripture, the term brother is applied to a kinsman
by blood more remote than a son of the same parents, as
in the case of Abraham and Lot, Jacob and Laban. In a
more general sense, brother or brethren is used for
fellow-man or fellow-men.
For of whom such massacre Make they but of their
brethren, men of men? --Milton.
{Brother Jonathan}, a humorous designation for the people of
the United States collectively. The phrase is said to have
originated from Washington's referring to the patriotic
Jonathan Trumbull, governor of Connecticut, as ``Brother
Jonathan.''
{Blood brother}. See under {Blood}.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Brother \Broth"er\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Brothered}.]
To make a brother of; to call or treat as a brother; to admit
to a brotherhood. --Sir W. Scott.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
brother
adj : being associated as a companion or associate; "fellow
traveler"; "brother workers"; "sister ship" [syn: {fellow(a)},
{brother(a)}, {sister(a)}]
n 1: a male with the same parents as someone else; "my brother
still lives with our parents" [syn: {blood brother}]
[ant: {sister}]
2: a male person who is a fellow member (of a fraternity or
religion of other group); "none of his brothers would
betray him"
3: a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their
activities [syn: {buddy}, {chum}, {crony}, {pal}, {sidekick}]
4: used as a term of address for those male persons engaged in
the same movement; "Greetings, comrade!" [syn: {comrade}]
5: (Roman Catholic) a title given to a monk and used as form of
address; "a Benedictine Brother" [syn: {Brother}]
Additional Hypertext Webster Gateway Lookup
Gateway by dict@stokkie.net
stock only wrote the gateway and does not have any control over the contents;
see the Webster Gateway FAQ,
and also the Back-end/database links and credits.