Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

breve

/bɹiːv/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 2.11 in modern English

Syllables: breve
IPA: /bɹiːv/

10

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

1

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A semicircular diacritical mark (˘) placed above a vowel, commonly used to mark its quantity as short.

noun

A double whole note; a note twice as long as a semibreve.

noun

Any writ or precept under seal, issued out of any court.

noun

A pitta, all of which have more or less short tails.

noun

An equal mix of espresso and half and half cream.

Example Sentences

"But what, are you puzzling in your pockets to seek your only memorial among old play bills, letters requesting a meeting of the Faculty, rules of the Speculative Society, syllabus' of lectures—all the miscellaneous contents of a young lawyer's pocket, which contains every thing but brieves and bank-notes?"

Etymology

From Middle English breve, variant of bref, from Old French brieve, breve (feminine form of brief, bref), from Latin brevis (“short”).

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: breve, brieve, brevis

Subject

Wiktionary places this term in Music.

Inflected Forms

breves (plural) brieve (alternative)

Derived Forms

semibreve

Phrases

alla breve breve rest espresso breve i-breve inverted breve half note whole note

Frequently Paired Words

brevity brief brachy half note longa whole note

Synonyms

micron

Homonyms

breathe (th-fronting)

Antonyms

macron

Rhymes With

believe leave we've french leave take french leave receive steve achieve eve breathe sleeve relieve

Questions

How do you pronounce breve?: The recorded pronunciation is /bɹiːv/.
What does breve mean?: A semicircular diacritical mark (˘) placed above a vowel, commonly used to mark its quantity as short.
Where does breve come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce breve

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