喜樂美語

Something cut down so it takes up very little time or space — short. A moment that's over almost before it begins, or a piece of speech or writing trimmed down to just the essentials.

可以想成把一段時間或一段話「剪短」之後剩下的東西：時間上短到一下子就過去，或內容上短到只留下最必要的幾個字。brief 的核心畫面，可以想成那個「被裁短、不拖長」的感覺——同時管時間（短暫）和篇幅（簡短）這兩面。

From the word’s history

From Latin 'brevis' meaning 'short'. The same root gives 'abbreviate' and 'abridge'. The noun senses all grow from the idea of a SHORT written document.

源自拉丁文 brevis（短）。同一個字根也造出 abbreviate（縮寫）、abridge（刪節）。名詞的各種意思，可以想成都從「一份很短的文件」這個畫面長出來。

Online Etymology Dictionary (etymonline.com), entry 'brief'

登入就可以看每一支怎麼連回核心畫面。

同家族的字

a比較級 briefer最高級 briefest

n複數 briefs

v過去式 briefed過去分詞 briefed-ing briefing三單 briefs

原始詞典資料23 筆記錄

以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，摘錄並精簡格式，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。

briefadj/ˈbɹiːf/

  • 1

    Of short duration; happening quickly.

    • Her reign was brief but spectacular.
    • Some, how briefe the Life of man / runs his erring pilgrimage, / That the ſtretching of a ſpan, / buckles in his ſumme of age.
  • 2

    Concise; taking few words.

    • His speech of acceptance was brief but moving.
    • The briefe ſtyle is that which expreſſeth much in little.
  • 3

    Occupying a small distance, area or spatial extent; short.

    • On the beach he always wore a straw hat with a red band and a brief pair of leopard print trunks.
  • 4

    obsoleteRife; common; prevalent.

briefnoun/ˈbɹiːf/

  • 1

    lawA writ summoning one to answer; an official letter or mandate.

  • 2

    CatholicismChristianityRoman-CatholicismA writ summoning one to answer; an official letter or mandate.

    • It was in vain that the bishop published a new papal brief, declaring valid the excommunications which he had issued, and those of the inquisitors to be null, and requiring them to seek absolution from him.
  • 3

    lawAn answer to any action.

    • A written answer or any other brief shall be submitted to the court while allowing a period necessary for the opponent to make preparations with regard to the matters stated therein.
  • 4

    lawA memorandum of points of fact or of law for use in conducting a case.

  • 5

    A position of interest or advocacy.

    • Mrs. Hope was, we believe, a convert to the Roman Catholic Church, and neither she nor her editor conceals the fact that they hold a brief for the Pope and for Catharine against Henry VIII.
  • 6

    lawAn attorney's legal argument in written form for submission to a court.

  • 7

    lawThe material relevant to a case, delivered by a solicitor to the barrister who is counsel for the case.

  • 8

    slanglawA barrister who is counsel for a party in a legal action.

另外 6 個記錄的用法
  • 9

    A short news story or report.

    • We got a news brief.
    • Hie good ſir Mighell, beare this ſealed briefe / With winged haſte to the Lord Marſhall / This to my cooſen Scroope, and all the reſt / To whom they are directed.
  • 10

    Underwear briefs.

    • I wear boxer shorts under trousers but for sports I usually wear a brief.
  • 11

    Swimming briefs.

  • 12

    obsoleteA summary, précis or epitome; an abridgement or abstract.

    • […] euen ſo it fareth with mee, who béeing about to anatomize Abſurditie, am vrged to take a view of ſundry mens vanitie, a ſuruey of their follie, a briefe of their barbariſme […]
    • EACH woman is a brief of womankind, / And doth in little e’en as much contain, / As in one day and night all life we find ; / Of either more is but the ſame again […]
  • 13

    historicalA letter patent, from proper authority, authorizing a collection or charitable contribution of money in churches, for any public or private purpose.

  • 14

    slangA ticket of any type.

briefverb/ˈbɹiːf/

  • 1

    To summarize a recent development to some person with decision-making power.

    • The U.S. president was briefed on the military coup and its implications on African stability.
    • Lubbers was briefed by Shanghai Mayor Jiang Zemin on the city's economic situation, and this evening, Lubbers attended a banquet hosted by the Shanghai Municipal Governoment^([sic – meaning Government]).
  • 2

    lawTo write a legal argument and submit it to a court.

briefadv/ˈbɹiːf/

  • 1

    obsoleteBriefly.

    • Whence Adam faultring long, thus anſwer’d brief.
  • 2

    obsoleteSoon; quickly.

    • But that a ioy paſt ioy, calls out on me, / It were a griefe, to briefe to part with thee : / Farewell.

這個拼法也被記錄為下列字的變化形：

  • briefs

摘錄自 英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary，已精簡格式；依 CC BY-SA 4.0 授權使用，改動後的內容同樣以此授權提供。