brawny

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English

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Etymology

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From Middle English brawny; equivalent to brawn +‎ -y.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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brawny (comparative brawnier, superlative brawniest)

  1. Characterized by brawn; muscular, thewy; strong.
    Rattler was a big, brawny fellow, and he stepped up in front of me, rolling up his sleeves.
    • 1749, [John Cleland], “(Please specify the letter or volume)”, in Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure [Fanny Hill], London: [] [Thomas Parker] for G. Fenton [i.e., Fenton and Ralph Griffiths] [], →OCLC:
      As he stood on one side, for a minute or so, unbuttoning his waist-coat and breeches, her fat, brawny thighs hung down
    • 1959, David P. Morgan, editor, Steam's Finest Hour, Kalmbach Publishing Co., page 68:
      Once the pressure of the comparatively low-drivered J's was raised to 300 pounds, they ranked as the brawniest of 4-8-4's with a tractive force of 80,000 pounds.
  2. Calloused; hardened.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Middle English

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Etymology

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From brawne +‎ -y.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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brawny

  1. muscular, muscly
  2. (rare) fleshy (of fruit)

Descendants

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  • English: brawny

References

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