brother
brother [brother brothers brethren] noun, exclamation BrE [ˈbrʌðə(r)] NAmE [ˈbrʌðər]
noun
IN FAMILY
1. a boy or man who has the same mother and father as another person
• We're brothers.
• He's my brother.
•an older/younger brother
•a twin brother
•Does she have any brothers and sisters?
•Edward was the youngest of the Kennedy brothers.
•He was like a brother to me (= very close).
see also ↑half-brother, ↑stepbrother
OTHER MEN
2. (pl. brothersor old-fashioned brethren)used for talking to or talking about other male members of an organization or other men who have the same ideas, purpose, etc. as yourself
•We must work together, brothers!
•We are all brothers in the fight against injustice.
•He was greatly respected by his brother officers.
•We must support our weaker brethren.
IN RELIGIOUS GROUP
3. (also Brother)(pl. brethrenor brothers)a male member of a religious group, especially a ↑monk
•Brother Luke
•The Brethren meet regularly for prayer.
FORM OF ADDRESS
4. (NAmE, informal)used by black people as a form of address for a black man
AT COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY
5. (in the US) a member of a ↑fraternity (= a club for a group of male students at a college or university)
Word Origin:
Old English brōthor, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch broeder and German Bruder, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin frater.
Example Bank:
•Bill idolizes his big brother, who is a professional footballer.
•Do you have any brothers and sisters?
•He married the wife of his late brother.
•His old teacher greeted him like a long-lost brother.
•She wrote daily to her beloved brother, Leo.
•The boys are so close, they're like brothers.
exclamation (old-fashioned, especially NAmE)used to express the fact that you are annoyed or surprised
• Oh brother!
Word Origin:
Old English brōthor, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch broeder and German Bruder, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin frater.
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