Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense, plural brains, present participle braining, past tense, past participle brained
1. countable noun
Your brain is the organ inside your head that controls your body's activities and enables you to think and to feel things such as heat and pain.
Her father died of a brain tumour.
2. countable noun [usually poss NOUN]
Your brain is your mind and the way that you think.
Once you stop using your brain you soon go stale.
Stretch your brain with this puzzle.
3. countable noun
If someone has brains or a good brain, they have the ability to learn and understand things quickly, to solve problems, and to make good decisions.
They were not the only ones to have brains and ambition.
I had a good brain and the teachers liked me.
4. countable noun [usually plural]
If someone is thebrains behind an idea or an organization, he or she had that idea or makes the importantdecisions about how that organization is managed.
[informal]
Mr White was the brains behind the scheme.
Some investigators regarded her as the brains of the gang. [+ of]
5. verb
To brain someone means to hit them forcefully on the head.
[informal]
He had threatened to brain him then and there. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: hit, strike, smash, belt [informal] More Synonyms of brain
6.
See to beat someone's brains out
7.
See blow someone's brains out
8.
See have on the brain
9.
See to pick someone's brains
10. to rack your brains
More Synonyms of brain
brain in British English
(breɪn)
noun
1.
the soft convoluted mass of nervous tissue within the skull of vertebrates that is the controlling and coordinating centre of the nervous system and the seat of thought, memory, and emotion. It includes the cerebrum, brainstem, and cerebellum
Technical name: encephalon ▶ Related adjectives: cerebral, encephalic
2.
the main neural bundle or ganglion of certain invertebrates
3. (often plural) informal
intellectual ability
he's got brains
4. informal
shrewdness or cunning
5. informal
an intellectual or intelligent person
6. (usually plural; functioning as singular) informal
a person who plans and organizes an undertaking or is in overall control of an organization, etc
7.
an electronic device, such as a computer, that performs apparently similar functions to the human brain
8. on the brain
9. pick someone's brain
verb(transitive)
10.
to smash the skull of
11. slang
to hit hard on the head
Word origin
Old English brægen; related to Old Frisian brein, Middle Low German bregen, Greek brekhmos forehead
brain in American English
(breɪn)
noun
1. [sometimes pl.]
the mass of nerve tissue in the cranium of vertebrate animals, an enlarged extension of the spinal cord: it is the main part of the nervous system, the center of thought, and the organ that perceives sensory impulses and regulates motor impulses: it is made up of gray matter (the outer cortex of nerve cells) and white matter (the inner mass of nerve fibers)
2.
a comparable organ in invertebrate animals
3.
a. [often pl.]
intelligence; mental ability
b. Informal
a person of great intelligence
4. [usually pl.]; Informal
the main organizer or planner of a group activity; chief controller or director
verb transitive
5.
to dash out the brains of
6. Slang
to hit hard on the head
Idioms:
beat one's brains
have on the brain
pick someone's brains
Word origin
ME < OE brægen < IE base *mregh-m(n)o-, skull, brain > Gr bregma, forehead
More idioms containing
brain
have a brain like a sieve
get your brain into gear
Examples of 'brain' in a sentence
brain
He showed loads of scope and a good brain.
The Sun (2016)
Artificial intelligence is already helping research into cancer and brain diseases.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
This trains your brain to tune into pleasure in its many forms.
The Sun (2016)
Six years ago she had to undergo brain surgery.
The Sun (2017)
One quick puncture wound through the base of his skull into his brain with this should do the job.
The Sun (2016)
England appeared the next step for the man with the strength of a bear and the rugby brain of a computer.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Studies suggest it is because dancing connects directly with the brain's emotional centres.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
But they are still picking the brains of their Scottish counterparts Critics to try to clamp down on it.
The Sun (2017)
But the virtues are also evident: the desire to entertain while teasing our brains and the ability to show how politics is intertwined with all our relationships.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
They demand more from both brain and body.
Sally Gunnell, Kathryn Leigh BE YOUR BEST: How Anyone can become Fit, Healthy and Confident (2002)
Plus a brain with a memory so he can recall all the election promises he made.
The Sun (2011)
You get hit on the head and your brain jars and it hurts.
The Sun (2016)
He allowed me to look at an image of my brain on the computer screen.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The ability to do so resides in what are known as the higher centres of the brain.
Knowles, Jane Know Your Own Mind (1991)
We force our brain to work hard.
Evans, Andrew The Secrets of Musical Confidence (1994)
My father said my brain is no great loss to mankind.
The Sun (2014)
Villas-Boas could do with some older brains to pick.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
She underwent brain surgery and is now in a stable condition under armed guard in hospital.
The Sun (2015)
Here are some particularly important brain nutrients.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The human body and brain are extraordinarily complex.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Today the ego feels like a metal mask around my brain and head.
The Sun (2011)
Research tells us that the brain is very good at capturing the gist of a situation or experience.
Christianity Today (2000)
Experts will be studying her case to see what helps the brain and memory to recover after illness.
The Sun (2010)
Fish is good for the brain.
Grunfield, Nina A Miscellany of Mother's Wisdom (1994)
There's no better way to keep your brain trained than playing our great teasers.
The Sun (2013)
They found that booze affects the brain's ability to detect symmetry.
The Sun (2010)
Quotations
Our brains may be too big - dooming us as Triceratops was doomed by his armourArthur C. Clarke
I was taught that the human brain was the crowning glory of evolution so far, but I think it's a very poor scheme for survivalKurt Vonnegut
In other languages
brain
British English: brain /breɪn/ NOUN
Your brain is the organ inside your head that controls your body's activities and enables you to think and to feel things.
American English: brain
Arabic: دِمَاغ
Brazilian Portuguese: cérebro
Chinese: 头脑
Croatian: mozak
Czech: mozek
Danish: hjerne
Dutch: hersenen
European Spanish: cerebro
Finnish: aivot
French: cerveau
German: Gehirn
Greek: εγκέφαλος
Italian: cervello
Japanese: 脳
Korean: 뇌
Norwegian: hjerne
Polish: mózg
European Portuguese: cérebro
Romanian: creier
Russian: мозг
Latin American Spanish: cerebro
Swedish: hjärna
Thai: สมอง
Turkish: beyin
Ukrainian: мозок
Vietnamese: não
All related terms of 'brain'
brain up
to make more intellectually demanding or sophisticated
pea-brain
a person lacking intelligence
brain candy
something that is entertaining or enjoyable but lacks depth or significance
brain cell
a nerve cell that is situated in the brain
brain coral
a stony coral of the genus Meandrina , in which the polyps lie in troughlike thecae resembling the convoluted surface of a human brain
brain-dead
If someone is declared brain-dead , they have suffered brain death .
brain death
Brain death occurs when someone's brain stops functioning, even though their heart may be kept beating using a machine .
brain drain
When people talk about a brain drain , they are referring to the movement of a large number of scientists or academics away from their own country to other countries where the conditions and salaries are better.
brain fever
inflammation of the brain or its covering membranes
brain gain
the immigration into a country of scientists , technologists, academics , etc, attracted by better pay, equipment, or conditions
brain scan
an examination of the brain , using radiological scanning techniques , used in medical diagnosis and scientific research
brain trust
a group of experts unofficially acting as administrative advisers
brain wave
any of the fluctuations of electrical potential in the brain as represented on an electroencephalogram . They vary in frequency from 1 to 30 hertz
left brain
the left hemisphere of the human brain , which is believed to control linear and analytical thinking , decision-making , and language
right brain
the right cerebral hemisphere of the human brain, which includes areas associated with abstraction , artistic ability, and emotional response
split brain
a brain in which the tracts connecting the two halves of the cerebral cortex have been surgically split or are missing from birth
brain damage
If someone suffers brain damage , their brain is damaged by an illness or injury so that they cannot function normally .
brain-damaged
Someone who is brain-damaged has suffered brain damage.
brain disease
A disease is an illness which affects people, animals, or plants, for example one which is caused by bacteria or infection .
brain health
A person's health is the condition of their body and the extent to which it is free from illness or is able to resist illness.
brain scanner
a machine used to perform brain scans
brain surgeon
a surgeon who specializes in brain surgery
brain-teaser
A brain teaser is a question , problem, or puzzle that is difficult to answer or solve , but is not serious or important .
brain tumour
a tumour that is situated in the brain
brain activity
Activity is a situation in which a lot of things are happening or being done.
on the brain
constantly in mind
brain haemorrhage
bleeding into the brain
electronic brain
an electronic computer
brain-fever bird
an Indian cuckoo , Cuculus varius , that utters a repetitive call
brain fingerprinting
a technique in which sensors worn on the head are used to measure the involuntary brain activity of someone in response to certain images or pieces of evidence pertaining to a crime
acervulus
a small, asexual spore-producing structure produced by certain parasitic fungi on a host plant
brainstem
the stalklike part of the brain consisting of the medulla oblongata, the midbrain , and the pons Varolii
blood-brain barrier
the barrier created by the walls of the capillaries of the brain that prevents certain substances, as most proteins and drugs, from passing from the blood into the brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid
have on the brain
If someone has something on the brain , they keep thinking about it.
pick someone's brain
to obtain information or ideas from someone
water on the brain
accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid within the ventricles of the brain because its normal outlet has been blocked by congenital malformation or disease. In infancy it usually results in great enlargement of the head
yellow brain fungus
a member of any of three orders ( Auriculariales, Tremellales, and Dacrymycetales ) of basidiomycetous fungi that grow on trees and have a jelly-like consistency when wet . They include the conspicuous yellow brain fungus ( Tremella mesenterica ), the black witch's butter ( Exidia plana ), and the pinky-red jew's- ear ( Auricularia auricula-judae )
brainchild
Someone's brainchild is an idea or invention that they have thought up or created.
cerebral death
irreversible cessation of respiration due to irreparable brain damage, even though the heart may continue beating with the aid of a mechanical ventilator : widely considered as the criterion of death
softening of the brain
an abnormal softening of the tissues of the cerebrum characterized by various degrees of mental impairment
get your brain into gear
to start thinking clearly about something, so that you can achieve what needs to be done
have a brain like a sieve
to have a bad memory and often forget things
brains trust
a group of knowledgeable people who discuss topics in public or on radio or television
rack one's brain to rack your brains
If you rack your brains , you try very hard to think of something.
Chinese translation of 'brain'
brain
(breɪn)
n
(c) (Anat) 脑(腦) (nǎo) (个(個), gè)
(u) (fig) 大脑(腦) (dànǎo)
Derived Forms
brainsn pl
(Culin) 脑(腦)髓 (nǎosuǐ)
(= intelligence) 智力 (zhìlì) : he's got brains他很聪(聰)慧 (tā hěn cōnghuì) , he's the brains of the organization (inf) 他是该(該)组(組)织(織)的中枢(樞)人物 (tā shì gāi zǔzhī de zhōngshū rénwù) , to pick sb's brains (inf) 问(問)某人的意见(見) (wèn mǒurén de yìjiàn) , to rack one's brains绞(絞)尽(盡)脑(腦)汁 (jiǎojìn nǎozhī)
1 (noun)
Definition
the soft mass of nervous tissue within the skull of vertebrates that controls and coordinates the nervous system
The eye grows independently of the brain.
Synonyms
cerebrum
mind
She moved to London, meeting some of the best minds of her time.
grey matter (informal)
2 (noun)
Definition
an intelligent person
(informal)
I've never been much of a brain myself.
Synonyms
intellectual
teachers, artists and other intellectuals
genius
a 14-year-old mathematical genius
scholar
The library attracts thousands of scholars and researchers.
sage
pundit
thinker
some of the world's greatest thinkers
mastermind
She was the mastermind behind the plan.
intellect (informal)
My boss isn't a great intellect.
prodigy
an 11-year-old chess prodigy
highbrow
the sniggers of the highbrows
rocket scientist (informal)
egghead (informal)
The Government was dominated by self-important eggheads.
brainbox
clever clogs
bluestocking usually derogatory)
(plural noun)
They were not the only ones to have brains and ambition.
Synonyms
intelligence
mind
reason
understanding
sense
capacity
smarts (slang, mainly US)
wit
common sense
intellect
savvy (slang)
nous (British, slang)
suss (slang)
shrewdness
sagacity
(verb)
(informal)
He had threatened to brain him then and there.
Synonyms
hit
She hit him hard across his left arm.
strike
She took two steps forward and struck him across the mouth.
smash
belt (informal)
Is it true that she belted George in the stomach?
sock (slang)
clout (informal)
The officer clouted him on the head.
slug
swipe (informal)
She swiped at him as though he were a fly.
wallop (informal)
She walloped me over the head with a cushion.
related words
technical nameencephalon
related adjectivesencephaliccerebral
subject word lists
See Parts of the brain
figurative note
The brain controls the nervous system and is the seat of thought in the human body. A brain is a person who is intelligent and has great intellectual ability; this is also expressed in the recent coinage brainiac. In the plural, brains refers to intelligence, e.g. He hasn't the brains to do it. If someone is the brains behind something, it has implications of masterminding an idea or operation. We talk about brainwaves when an idea comes into the brain, and brainwashing when thought is deliberately censored. Both of these words show that the physical brain is strongly equated with the processes of thought in the mind.
Quotations
Our brains may be too big - dooming us as Triceratops was doomed by his armour [Arthur C. Clarke]I was taught that the human brain was the crowning glory of evolution so far, but I think it's a very poor scheme for survival [Kurt Vonnegut]
Additional synonyms
in the sense of belt
Definition
to give (someone) a sharp blow
Is it true that she belted George in the stomach?
Synonyms
strike,
beat,
punch,
deck (slang),
bang,
bash (informal),
sock (slang),
smack,
thump,
clout (informal),
whack,
thud,
clobber (slang),
wallop (informal),
thwack,
lay one on (slang),
beat or knock seven bells out of (informal)
in the sense of clout
Definition
to hit hard
The officer clouted him on the head.
Synonyms
hit,
strike,
punch,
deck (slang),
slap,
sock (slang),
chin (slang),
smack,
thump,
cuff,
clobber (slang),
wallop (informal),
box,
wham,
tonk (informal),
lay one on (slang),
skelp (dialect)
in the sense of egghead
Definition
an intellectual person
The Government was dominated by self-important eggheads.