a restraint used to slow or stop a vehicle
"The driver slammed on the brake to avoid hitting the child running into the street."
any of various ferns of the genus Pteris having pinnately compound leaves and including several popular houseplants
"The rare brake growing in the garden has delicate, pinnately compound fronds that make it a favorite among fern enthusiasts."
large coarse fern often several feet high; essentially weed ferns; cosmopolitan
"The hikers struggled through the dense brake that choked the forest floor, its tall, coarse fronds reaching several feet into the air."
an area thickly overgrown usually with one kind of plant
"The hikers struggled through a dense brake of bracken that blocked their path to the summit."
anything that slows or hinders a process
"she wan not ready to put the brakes on her life with a marriage"
"new legislation will put the brakes on spending"
A fern; bracken.
"The monkey climbed onto the brake to get a better view from above."
A thicket, or an area overgrown with briers etc.
A tool used for breaking flax or hemp.
An ancient engine of war analogous to the crossbow and ballista.
A cage.
In plain English: A brake is a device used to slow down or stop something.
"The zookeeper used a brake to safely contain the playful otter."
Usage: This refers to a device used to slow or stop something, like a car-think of it as a restraint. It's distinct from "break," which means to shatter or fracture.
stop travelling by applying a brake
"We had to brake suddenly when a chicken crossed the road"
To bruise and crush; to knead
"The old pot fell and broke on the floor, but I managed to brake my car before it hit the wall."
To operate (a) brake(s).
simple past tense of break
In plain English: Brake (verb: simple past tense of break) Plain English Definition: To brake means to suddenly stop or slow down something moving.
"The vase brake during the move."
Usage: Brake (verb, past tense) means to stop something with a sudden force; think of braking a car. Use it when describing the action of stopping-"She braked hard to avoid the accident."
A surname.
"The local historian wrote extensively about Sir Thomas Brake, who served as a prominent judge in the 17th century."
The origin of "brake" is uncertain but may come from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German words meaning "nose ring," "curb," or "flax brake." This term is likely related to the Proto-Germanic root for "to break."