brain

English

/bɹeɪn/

noun
Definitions
  • The control center of the central nervous system of an animal located in the skull which is responsible for perception, cognition, attention, memory, emotion, and action.
  • (informal) An intelligent person.
  • (in the plural) Intellect.
  • By analogy with a human brain, the part of a machine or computer that performs calculations.
  • (slang) oral Oral sex.
  • (informal) Mind.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English brayn inherited from Old English bræġn (brain) inherited from Proto-Germanic *bragną (brain) inherited from Proto-Indo-European *mregʰnom (brain, skull), *mregʰ- (skull, brain, marrow, sinciput).

Origin

Proto-Indo-European

*mregʰ-

Gloss

skull, brain, marrow, sinciput

Concept
Semantic Field

The body

Ontological Category

Person/Thing

Kanji

脳

Emoji
☠️ 💀

Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms