Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

brank

/ˈbɹeɪ̯ŋk/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 1.05 in modern English

Syllables: brank
IPA: /ˈbɹeɪ̯ŋk/

11

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

1

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A metal bridle formerly used as a torture device to hold the head of a scold and restrain the tongue.

noun

A sort of bridle with wooden side pieces.

British usage; Obsolete

verb

To put someone in the branks.

verb

To hold up and toss the head; applied to horses as spurning the bit.

British usage

verb

To prance; to caper.

noun

British usage; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"Your armour gude ye mauna shaw, / Nor yet appear like men o' weir; / As country lads be a' array'd, / Wi' branks and brecham on each mare."
"Donald came branking down the brae Wi' twenty thousand men."
"One - third of brank-ground , or mixed with any other kind of grain or roots, is as large a proportion as can be given with safety"

Etymology

Compare Scottish Gaelic brangus, brangas (“a sort of pillory”), Irish brancas (“halter”), or Dutch pranger (“fetter”).

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈbɹeɪ̯ŋk/

Usage

Inflected Forms

branks (plural) branks (present, singular) branking (participle, present) branked (participle, past) branked (past)

Derived Forms

branky

Homonyms

brink (thank-think merger)

Rhymes With

thank bank frank tank rank blank drank hank prank sank flank crank

Questions

How do you pronounce brank?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈbɹeɪ̯ŋk/.
What does brank mean?: A metal bridle formerly used as a torture device to hold the head of a scold and restrain the tongue.
Where does brank come from?: Compare Scottish Gaelic brangus, brangas (“a sort of pillory”), Irish brancas (“halter”), or Dutch pranger (“fetter”).

How to pronounce brank

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “brank”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈbɹeɪ̯ŋk/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “brank”.
Repeat and practice — Say “brank” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.