briar
- 01 C1 Advanced
a wild bush with sharp thorns, like a wild rose or blackberry plant.
any of various prickly or thorny shrubs, especially those in the genera Rosa or Rubus, typically growing in dense thickets.
Simple“He scratched his arm on a sharp briar while walking through the woods.”
In context“The abandoned garden was quickly reclaimed by wild briars, their thorny stems weaving a dense barrier across the old stone path.”
UsageOften used in the plural to describe a thicket of such plants.
Synonyms - 02 C2 Proficiency
a pipe for smoking tobacco made from the hard root of a Mediterranean shrub.
a tobacco pipe made from the tough, heat-resistant root of the tree heath (Erica arborea).
Simple“The old man sat by the fire, quietly cleaning his favorite briar.”
In context“Collectors prize pipes made from old-growth briar for their superior heat resistance and the intricate beauty of the wood grain.”
UsageCan refer to both the wood itself and the finished pipe.
Synonyms
From Middle English brere, from Old English brēr [Old Mercian], brǣr (“briar, bramble”); further origin unknown, perhaps related to Old French bruiere (“heather”) (French bruyère). Compare Old Norse brǫrr (“briar”), whence Icelandic brörr.
From French bruyère, assimilated with Etymology 1, above.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.