Bray

Bray, a small English parish, near Maidenhead, Berkshire, of which Simon Aleyn was vicar from 1540 to 1588, during the reigns of Henry VIII., Edward VI., Mary, and Elizabeth. He kept his vicarage by changing his faith according to that of the State for the time being, becoming a Protestant with Henry, Catholic again in the reign of Mary, and Protestant again on the accession of Elizabeth. His principle was to live and die Vicar of Bray, and to it he adhered.

Entry from Everybody's Cyclopedia, 1912.

Bray (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Brayed (#); p. pr. & vb. n. Braying.] [OE. brayen, OF. breier, F. broyer to pound, grind, fr. OHG. brehhan to break. See Break.]

To pound, beat, rub, or grind small or fine.

Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar, . . . yet will not his foolishness depart from him. Prov. xxvii. 22.

© Webster 1913.

Bray, v. i. [OE brayen, F. braire to bray, OF. braire to cry, fr. LL. bragire to whinny; perh. fr. the Celtic and akin to E. break; or perh. of imitative origin.]

1.

To utter a loud, harsh cry, as an ass.

Laugh, and they Return it louder than an ass can bray. Dryden.

2.

To make a harsh, grating, or discordant noise.

Heard ye the din of battle bray? Gray.

© Webster 1913.

Bray, v. t.

To make or utter with a loud, discordant, or harsh and grating sound.

Arms on armor clashing, brayed Horrible discord. MIlton.

And varying notes the war pipes brayed. Sir W. Scott.

© Webster 1913.

Bray, n.

The harsh cry of an ass; also, any harsh, grating, or discordant sound.

The bray and roar of multitudinous London. Jerrold.

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Bray, n. [OE. braye, brey, brew, eyebrow, brow of a hill, hill, bank, Scot. bra, brae, bray, fr. AS. brw eyebrow, influenced by the allied Icel. br eyebrow, bank, also akin to AS. br yebrow. See Brow.]

A bank; the slope of a hill; a hill. See Brae, which is now the usual spelling.

Fairfax.

© Webster 1913.