brother Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a male with the same parents as someone else
    blood brother.
    • my brother still lives with our parents
  2. noun a male person who is a fellow member (of a fraternity or religion or other group)
    • none of his brothers would betray him
  3. noun a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities
    crony; sidekick; buddy; chum; pal.
  4. noun used as a term of address for those male persons engaged in the same movement
    comrade.
    • Greetings, comrade!
  5. noun (Roman Catholic Church) a title given to a monk and used as form of address
    • a Benedictine Brother

WordNet

Broth"er noun
Etymology
See Brethren. [OE. brother, AS. broor; akin to OS. brothar, D. broeder, OHG. pruodar, G. bruder, Icel. broir, Sw. & Dan. broder, Goth. broar, Ir. brathair, W. brawd, pl. brodyr, Lith. brolis, Lett. brahlis, Russ. brat', Pol. & Serv. brat, OSlav. brat, L. frater, Skr. bhrat, Zend. bratar brother, Gr. , , a clansman. The common plural is Brothers; in the solemn style, Brethren, OE. pl. brether, bretheren, AS. dat. sing. breer, nom. pl. broor, broru. Cf. Frair, Fraternal.]
Wordforms
plural Brothers or Brethren
Definitions
  1. A male person who has the same father and mother with another person, or who has one of them only. In the latter case he is more definitely called a half brother, or brother of the half blood.
    Two of us in the churchyard lie, My sister and my brother. Wordsworth.
  2. One related or closely united to another by some common tie or interest, as of rank, profession, membership in a society, toil, suffering, etc.; -- used among judges, clergymen, monks, physicians, lawers, professors of religion, etc. "A brother of your order." Shak.
    We few, we happy few, we band of brothers, For he to-day that sheds his blood with me Shall be my brother. Shak.
  3. One who, or that which, resembles another in distinctive qualities or traits of character.
    He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster. Prov. xviii. 9.
    That April morn Of this the very brother. Wordsworth.
    ✍ In Scripture, the term brother is applied to a kinsman by blood more remote than a son of the same parents, as in the case of Abraham and Lot, Jacob and Laban. In a more general sense, brother or brethren is used for fellow-man or fellow-men.
    For of whom such massacre Make they but of their brethren, men of men? Milton.
Broth"er transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Brothered
Definitions
  1. To make a brother of; to call or treat as a brother; to admit to a brotherhood. Sir W. Scott.

Webster 1913