brain (BRAYN) n.1. the mass of tissue inside the skull of vertebrates; the organ
that is the destination for the spinal cord, the main center of reasoning and inter-
preter of senses, as well as the director of motor functions; 2. a comparable organ in
an invertebrate; 3. (often pl.) mental capacity; intelligence; 4. (usually pl.) the chief
organizer or planner of a group event; head director —vt.to hit hard on the head
- No computer can yet equal the human brain.
- A flea’s brainis not very complex.
- You don’t need instructions; just use your brains.
- When it comes to planning, Kevin’s thebrains of this outfit.
- Roger got brainedby the baseball bat.
[-ed, -ing]
brandish(BRAEN dish) vt.to wave about or shake, in a threatening or chal-
lenging way; flourish - When you brandishthat saber, everyone ducks for cover.
- Helen brandishedthe fireplace poker as if she wanted to strike someone
with it.
[-ed, -ing]
burden(BOER din) n.1. a load; anything carried; 2. something one has to put
up with; a heavy load; hard work; sorrow or responsibility —vt.to weigh down; to
oppress - The drywall was a heavy burdenfor the roof of the car.
- When Jill sat on the jury, she had the burdenof deciding the guilt or inno-
cence of the defendant. - Certain trucks are classified by the burdenthey can carry.
- I hate to burdenyou with the job of deciding what to wear.
[-ed, -ing]
burrow(BOER o) n.1. a hole dug by an animal or a tunnel in the ground; 2.
any hole or passage serving as a shelter, refuge, etc. —vi.1. to dig (into, under, etc.);
- search as if by digging —vt.to make burrows in the ground
- Groundhogs live in burrowsof their own making.
- Some animals often find shelter in burrowsdug by others.
- Burrowingthrough old files led to finding the real murderer.
- Construction crews burrowedbeneath the English Channel to build the
Chunnel, connecting the U.K. and France.
[-ed, -ing]
buttress*(BUH tris) n.a brace, usually of brick or stone, built against a wall to
support or reinforce it; a prop —vt.1. to support or reinforce with such a structure;
- to prop up; bolster
- Many Gothic buildings sport buttressesto reinforce them.
- Flash cards can be thought of as buttressesfor rote learning of facts.
- Buttressyour argument against the tax hike by having the documentation
concerning the results of previous hikes.
[-ed, -ing]
42 Essential Vocabulary