brazen

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈbɹeɪ̯zən/^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English brasen,^[2][3][4][5] inherited from Old English bræsen (“made of brass”),^{[2][4][6][3][5]} from bræs “brass” and the suffix -en.^[4][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Made of brass (about 1000).^[7][4]

Semantic evolution

From “made of brass” the word came to mean strong as brass (1382)^[7] and like brass in colour or sound (1596).^[7] The figurative sense of shameless effrontery appeared in the 1570s, often in brazen-faced,^[6][4][7] perhaps suggesting a face that cannot show shame.^[6] The verb, mostly in brazen it out, dates from the 1550s.^[6][4][3]

Timeline

• about 1000 – made of brass.^[7][4]
• 1382 – strong as brass.^[7]
• before 1555 – verb, to face impudently.^[7][4][3]
• 1573 – shameless, hardened in effrontery.^[7][4]
• 1596 – like brass in colour or sound.^[7]

Modern meaning

Adjective

1. Bold and shameless; impudent.
2. Loud and harsh, like struck brass.
3. Made of brass.
4. Like brass in colour or strength.

Verb

1. To face something boldly and without shame, usually in brazen it out.

Word family

• brazenly
• brazenness
• brazenfaced
• outbrazen

Usage notes

Random House gives brassy, insolent and defiant as synonyms and refers to bold for a fuller discussion.^[5]

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
3. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
5. ^ a b c Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
6. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press