brake

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Literary

n. a small area of land covered with many bushes, trees, or tall ferns.

n. an area of dense growth, typically consisting of briers, bushes, or thickets of ferns.

“The deer disappeared into a thick brake of ferns and was gone.”

“The hunters struggled to navigate the dense cane brake that lined the riverbank, their progress slowed by the tangled vegetation.”

A2 · Elementary

v. to use the brakes on a vehicle to slow down or stop.

v. to reduce the speed of a vehicle or machine by applying a braking mechanism.

“You should brake gently when the road is wet and slippery.”

“The driver was forced to brake hard to avoid a collision after the car in front stopped without warning.”

C2 · Proficiency Agriculture Archaic · Technical

v. to crush or break something, like flax or dough, using a tool.

v. to bruise, crush, or knead a substance, particularly in the processing of flax or hemp.

“The workers had to brake the flax to separate the fibers.”

“In traditional textile production, the stalks were dried and then braked to release the fibers required for spinning into the spinning process.”