brother
/'brʌðə/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A male sibling: A male person who shares one or both parents with another person.
- A male fellow member: A man who is a member of the same group, organization, profession, or religion as others.
- A close male friend: A man who is like a sibling in terms of closeness and loyalty; a comrade or buddy.
- (Form of address): A title used to address a male member of a religious community, such as a monk.
Examples of Usage
- Noun (Male sibling):
- Noun (Fellow member):
- Noun (Close friend):
- Noun (Religious title):
Advanced Usage
- "Brother from another mother": An informal, affectionate term for a very close male friend who is not a biological sibling.
- "Big brother": Can refer to an older male sibling. It is also used metaphorically to describe an authoritarian, surveillant power, popularized by George Orwell's .
Variants and Related Words
- Brotherly (adj): Characteristic of or befitting a brother; showing kindness and affection like a brother.
- Brotherhood (n): The relationship between brothers; a feeling of fellowship and shared interests among a group of people.
- Brethren (n, archaic or formal): An old-fashioned or formal plural of "brother," often used in religious or organizational contexts.
Synonyms
- Sibling (for the familial sense).
- Comrade: A companion who shares one's activities or is a fellow member of an organization.
- Pal / Buddy / Mate (informal, for the friendly sense).
Related Phrases
- Blood brother: A man who has sworn a pact of loyalty with another, often involving a ritual mingling of blood; or, a biological brother.
- Brother-in-law: The brother of one's spouse or the husband of one's sibling.
Related Idioms
- Brother's keeper: A phrase from the Bible (Genesis 4:9), meaning one responsible for the welfare of another. Often used in the question, "Am I my brother's keeper?"
- All men are brothers: A saying expressing the ideal that all people should treat each other with the kindness and respect due to family.
Noun
- (Roman Catholic Church) a title given to a monk and used as form of address
- a Benedictine Brother
- used as a term of address for those male persons engaged in the same movement
- Greetings, comrade!
- a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities
- a male person who is a fellow member (of a fraternity or religion or other group)
- none of his brothers would betray him
- a male with the same parents as someone else
- my brother still lives with our parents