brain

noun

UK /breɪn/

Word Forms

singular	brain
plural	brains

1
countable the organ inside your head that allows you to think and feel, and controls your body
The human brain is divided into two halves.
The illness had affected his brain.
Synonyms and related words
The brain and nervous system
amygdala
brain
brain cell
1. 1a
  only before nounbelonging to or connected with the brain
  a brain tumour/scan/operation
  brain activity/function
  Synonyms and related words
  The brain and nervous system
  amygdala
  brain
  brain cell
2. 1b
  
  brains
  plural the brain of an animal cooked and eaten as food
  Synonyms and related words
  Offal
  brains
  giblets
  kidney
2
countable often pluralmental ability or intelligence
She felt that she could almost see his brain working.
You have to use your brains in this job.
have brains/a brain (=be intelligent):
He’s good-looking, and he’s got brains.
Synonyms and related words
Intelligence, intuition and ability to understand
intelligence
intuition
intellect
1. 2a
  countable an intelligent person
  The best brains in the country have failed to solve this problem.
  Synonyms and related words
  Someone who is intelligent or well informed
  a bright spark
  a fount of knowledge/wisdom/advice/ideas etc
  artful dodger
3
have a brain the size of a planet
to be extremely clever (originally said of Marvin the paranoid android in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy)
It’s James, he has a brain the size of a planet!
Submitted by:
James Strangward from United Kingdom on 19/05/2014
Open Dictionary - May2014

phrases

beat/bash someone’s brains out

the brains behind something

the brains of something

have something on the brain

rack your brain(s)

brain

noun

US /breɪn/

Word Forms

singular	brain
plural	brains

1
countable the organ inside your head that allows you to think and feel, and controls your body
The human brain is divided into two halves.
Synonyms and related words
The brain and nervous system
amygdala
brain
brain cell
1. 1a
  only before nounbelonging to or connected with the brain
  a brain tumor/scan/operation
  brain activity/function
  Synonyms and related words
  The brain and nervous system
  amygdala
  brain
  brain cell
2. 1b
  
  brains
  plural the brain of an animal cooked and eaten as food
  Synonyms and related words
  Offal
  brains
  chitterlings
  giblets
2
countable often pluralmental ability or intelligence
You have to use your brains in this job.
have brains/a brain (=be intelligent):
He’s good-looking, and he has brains.
Synonyms and related words
Intelligence, intuition and ability to understand
intelligence
intuition
intellect
1. 2a
  countable an intelligent person
  The best brains in the country have failed to solve this problem.
  Synonyms and related words
  Someone who is intelligent or well informed
  a bright spark
  a fount of knowledge/wisdom/advice/ideas, etc.
  a quick study
3
have a brain the size of a planet
to be extremely clever (originally said of Marvin the paranoid android in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy)
It’s James, he has a brain the size of a planet!
Submitted by:
James Strangward from United Kingdom on 19/05/2014
Open Dictionary - May2014

phrases

beat/bash someone’s brains out

the brains behind something

the brains of something

have something on the brain

rack your brain(s)

brain

verb transitive informal

UK /breɪn/

Word Forms

present tense
I/you/we/they	brain
he/she/it	brains
present participle	braining
past tense	brained
past participle	brained

1
to hit someone very hard on the head
Synonyms and related words
To hit a person
hit
smack
bludgeon

brain

verb transitive informal

US /breɪn/

Word Forms

present tense
I/you/we/they	brain
he/she/it	brains
present participle	braining
past tense	brained
past participle	brained

1
to hit someone very hard on the head
Synonyms and related words
To hit a person
hit
beat
smack

brain ​‌‌‌

brains

have a brain the size of a planet

brain ​‌‌‌

brains

have a brain the size of a planet

brain

brain

brain

brain