Bray \Bray\, n. [OE. braye, brey, brew, eyebrow, brow of a hill, hill, bank, Scot. bra, brae, bray, fr. AS. br[=ae]w eyebrow, influenced by the allied Icel. br[=a] eyebrow, bank, also akin to AS. br[=u] eyebrow. See {Brow}.] A bank; the slope of a hill; a hill. See {Brae}, which is now the usual spelling. [North of Eng. & Scot.] --Fairfax.
Bray \Bray\ (br[=a]), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Brayed} (br[=a]d); p. pr. & vb. n. {Braying}.] [OE. brayen, OF. breier, F. broyer to pound, grind, fr. OHG. brehhan to break. See {Break}.] To pound, beat, rub, or grind small or fine.
Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar, . . . yet will not his foolishness depart from him. --Prov. xxvii. 22.
Bray \Bray\, v. i. [OE brayen, F. braire to bray, OF. braire to cry, fr. LL. bragire to whinny; perh. fr. the Celtic and akin to E. break; or perh. of imitative origin.] 1. To utter a loud, harsh cry, as an ass.
Laugh, and they Return it louder than an ass can bray. --Dryden.
2. To make a harsh, grating, or discordant noise.
Heard ye the din of battle bray? --Gray.
Bray \Bray\, v. t. To make or utter with a loud, discordant, or harsh and grating sound.
Arms on armor clashing, brayed Horrible discord. --MIlton.
And varying notes the war pipes brayed. --Sir W. Scott.
Bray \Bray\, n. The harsh cry of an ass; also, any harsh, grating, or discordant sound.
The bray and roar of multitudinous London. --Jerrold.