brother. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

brother

SYLLABICATION:	broth·er
PRONUNCIATION:	brthr
NOUN:	Inflected forms: pl. broth·ers 1. A male having the same parents as another or one parent in common with another. 2. Inflected forms: pl. often breth·ren ( brthrn) One who shares a common ancestry, allegiance, character, or purpose with another or others, especially: a. A kinsman. b. A fellow man. c. A fellow member, as of a fraternity, trade union, or panel of judges on a court. d. A close male friend; a comrade. e. A fellow African-American man or boy. 3. Inflected forms: pl. often brethren Something, such as a corporation or institution, that is regarded as a member of a class: “A station that … relies on corporate contributions or advertising to survive runs the risk of becoming virtually indistinguishable from its commercial brethren” (W. John Moore). 4. Ecclesiastical a. abbr. Br. or Bro. A member of a men's religious order who is not in holy orders but engages in the work of the order. b. A lay member of a religious order of men. c. Inflected forms: pl. often brethren A fellow member of the Christian church.
ETYMOLOGY:	Middle English, from Old English brthor. See bhrter- in Appendix I.


The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.