Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary полностью

2 ADJ A brief speech or piece of writing does not contain too many words or details. □  In a brief statement, he concentrated entirely on international affairs. □  Write a very brief description of a typical problem.

3 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If you are brief , you say what you want to say in as few words as possible. □  Now please be brief–my time is valuable.

4 ADJ [usu ADJ n] You can describe a period of time as brief if you want to emphasize that it is very short. [EMPHASIS ] □  For a few brief minutes we forgot the anxiety and anguish.

5 N‑PLURAL [oft a pair of N ] Men's or women's underpants can be referred to as briefs . □  A bra and a pair of briefs lay on the floor.

6 VERB If someone briefs you, especially about a piece of work or a serious matter, they give you information that you need before you do it or consider it. □ [V n] A Defense Department spokesman briefed reporters. □ [be V -ed + by ] The Prime Minister has been briefed by her parliamentary aides.

7 N‑COUNT [oft N to-inf] If someone gives you a brief , they officially give you responsibility for dealing with a particular thing. [mainly BRIT , FORMAL ] □  She joined the company less than two years ago with a brief to turn the studio around.

8 → see also briefer , briefing

9 PHRASE You can say in brief to indicate that you are about to say something in as few words as possible or to give a summary of what you have just said. □  In brief, take no risks.

▸  brief against PHRASAL VERB If someone, especially a politician, briefs against another person, he or she tries to harm the other person's reputation by saying something unfavourable about them. [BRIT ] □ [V P n] Ministerial colleagues were briefing against him.

brief|case /briː fke I s/ (briefcases ) N‑COUNT A briefcase is a case used for carrying documents in.

brief|er /briː fə ^r / (briefers ) N‑COUNT A briefer is an official who has the job of giving information about something, for example a war. □  Military briefers say no planes were shot down today.

brief|ing /briː f I ŋ/ (briefings )

1 N‑VAR A briefing is a meeting at which information or instructions are given to people, especially before they do something. □  They're holding a press briefing tomorrow. □  Security staff did not then receive any briefing before they started each shift.

2 → see also brief

brief|ly /briː fli/

1 ADV [ADV with v] Something that happens or is done briefly happens or is done for a very short period of time. □  He smiled briefly. □  Guerillas captured and briefly held an important provincial capital.

2 ADV [ADV with v] If you say or write something briefly , you use very few words or give very few details. □  There are four basic alternatives; they are described briefly below.

3 ADV You can say briefly to indicate that you are about to say something in as few words as possible. □  Briefly, no less than nine of our agents have passed information to us.

brig /br I g/ (brigs )

1 N‑COUNT A brig is a type of ship with two masts and square sails.

2 N‑COUNT A brig is a prison on a ship, especially a warship. [AM ]

Brig.Brig. is a written abbreviation for brigadier . [BRIT ] □  …Brig. Douglas Erskin Crum.

bri|gade /br I ge I d/ (brigades )

1 N‑COUNT [with sing or pl verb] A brigade is one of the groups which an army is divided into. □  …the men of the Seventh Armoured Brigade.

2 → see also fire brigade

briga|dier /br I gəd I ə ^r / (brigadiers ) N‑COUNT ; N‑TITLE A brigadier is a senior officer who is in charge of a brigade in the British armed forces.