britain
/ˈbɹɪt.ən/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.72 in modern English
9
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
name
The United Kingdom, a kingdom and country in Northern Europe including the island of Great Britain as well as Northern Ireland on the northeastern portion of the island of Ireland.
Countable; Uncountable
name
Great Britain, a large island (sometimes also including some of the surrounding smaller islands) off the north-west coast of Western Europe, made up of England, Scotland, and Wales; especially (but not exclusively) during antiquity.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "With the eclipse of Empire, and the emergence of America and Russia, it was inevitable that we would lose comparative power and influence—and to be sure we have been in relative economic decline since the middle of the nineteenth century (when we were still producing two thirds of the world's energy, and half its iron and cotton cloth and when per capita income in Britain was over twice that in Germany and one third greater than in France)."
- "The name of 'Britain' […] ought to answer every purpose, or if that be thought too condensed, it may be pluralized into ‘The Britains’."
- "The Britains’ struggles with the Scots and Picts [...] led to the Britains asking the Romans for help in constructing a great wall."
- "[M]ightie Albion, father of the bold / And warlike people which the Britaine Iſlands hold."
Etymology
Etymology tree Celticder. Ancient Greek Βρεττᾰνός (Brettănós) Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh₂ Proto-Hellenic *-íā Ancient Greek -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā) Ancient Greek Βρεττανία (Brettanía)bor. Latin Britannia Anglo-Norman Britainebor. Middle English Britayne English Britain From Middle English Britayne, Breteyn, from Anglo-Norman Bretaigne, Bretaine, from Latin Brittannia, variant of Latin Britannia, from Britannī; reinforced by native Old English Breten, from the same Latin source. Ultimately from Proto-Brythonic *Prɨdėn (“Britain”) from *Pritanī (also compare *Prɨdɨn (“Picts”) from *Pritenī), attested to in Ancient Greek as Πρεττανική (Prettanikḗ), compare Welsh Prydain. Doublet of Britannia and Brittany. More at Britto.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈbɹɪt.ən/
- British English: /ˈbɹɪt.ən/
Usage
Inflected Forms
Britains (plural)
Brittain (alternative, obsolete)
more Britain (comparative)
most Britain (superlative)
Derived Forms
Phrases
Great Britain
Little Britain
New Britain
Battle of Britain
Broken Britain
proto-Britain
Roman Britain
the British Isles