Source etymology 1 · variant 1/2
Original entry ↗A device used to slow or stop the motion of a wheel, or of a vehicle, usually by friction (although other resistive forces, such as electromagnetic fields or aerodynamic drag, can also be used); also, the controls or apparatus used to engage such a mechanism such as the pedal in a car. · The act of braking, of using a brake to slow down a machine or vehicle · An apparatus for testing the power of a steam engine or other motor by weighing the amount of friction that the motor will overcome; a friction brake. · Something used to retard or stop some action, process etc.
Origin uncertain; possibly from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German brake (“nose ring, curb, flax brake”), which according to Watkins is related to sense 4 and from Proto-Germanic *brekaną (“to break”).
Relationships mentioned by the source
These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.
This page abbreviates 9 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.
Inspect preserved source fields
Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.
{
"templates": [
{
"name": "etymid",
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "slowdown"
},
"expansion": ""
},
{
"name": "uncertain",
"args": {
"1": "en",
"nocap": "1"
},
"expansion": "uncertain"
},
{
"name": "bor",
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "dum",
"3": "-"
},
"expansion": "Middle Dutch"
},
{
"name": "bor",
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "gml",
"3": "brake",
"4": "",
"5": "nose ring, curb, flax brake"
},
"expansion": "Middle Low German brake (“nose ring, curb, flax brake”)"
},
{
"name": "der",
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "gem-pro",
"3": "*brekaną",
"4": "",
"5": "to break"
},
"expansion": "Proto-Germanic *brekaną (“to break”)"
}
],
"links": [
[
"brake",
"brake#Middle_Low_German"
],
[
"sense 4",
"brake#Etymology_4"
],
[
"*brekaną",
"Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/brekaną"
]
],
"references": [],
"descendants": [
{
"lang_code": "ja",
"lang": "Japanese",
"raw_tags": [
"borrowed"
]
},
{
"lang": "Japanese",
"lang_code": "ja",
"word": "ブレーキ",
"raw_tags": [
"borrowed"
],
"roman": "burēki"
},
{
"lang": "Korean",
"lang_code": "ko",
"word": "브레이크",
"raw_tags": [
"borrowed"
],
"roman": "beureikeu"
},
{
"lang": "Portuguese",
"lang_code": "pt",
"word": "breque",
"raw_tags": [
"borrowed"
]
},
{
"lang": "Swahili",
"lang_code": "sw",
"word": "breki",
"raw_tags": [
"borrowed"
]
},
{
"lang": "Thai",
"lang_code": "th",
"word": "เบรก",
"raw_tags": [
"borrowed"
],
"roman": "brèek"
},
{
"lang": "Welsh",
"lang_code": "cy",
"word": "brêc",
"raw_tags": [
"borrowed"
]
}
],
"lexical": [
{
"pos": "noun",
"glosses": [
"A device used to slow or stop the motion of a wheel, or of a vehicle, usually by friction (although other resistive forces, such as electromagnetic fields or aerodynamic drag, can also be used); also, the controls or apparatus used to engage such a mechanism such as the pedal in a car.",
"The act of braking, of using a brake to slow down a machine or vehicle",
"An apparatus for testing the power of a steam engine or other motor by weighing the amount of friction that the motor will overcome; a friction brake.",
"Something used to retard or stop some action, process etc."
],
"tags": [
"figuratively"
],
"recordId": "97bcc007965b8f8ee8b0c18514a7e8987191f000da6e3c46979fb9fe9b5dfd6e",
"rawRecordSha256": "ec32de1cdbf72c226af682f4f291ca5b5c367c09b027d0e7575c35505e84689b",
"sourceRecordOrdinal": 36073
}
],
"omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
"templates": 0,
"links": 0,
"references": 0,
"descendants": 0,
"lexicalRecords": 0,
"lexicalSenses": 9,
"glosses": 0
}
}