Brother (plural indiscriminately brothers and brethren) 1) one born of the same father and mother: Pilgr. 104. Tp. I, 1, 66. I, 2, 66. I, 2, 66 I, 2, 66 I, 2, 66 I, 2, 66 I, 2, 66 127 etc. etc. Plur. “brothers:” Gentl. IV, 4, 4. Wiv. IV, 2, 52. H4B IV, 4, 43. V, 2, 46. H5 IV, 1, 24. IV, 3, 60. H6C III, 2, 109. H6C III, 2, 109 IV, 1, 58. V, 4, 35. R3 I, 2, 96. Tit. I, 287. V, 3, 100. Tim. IV, 3, 3. Ant. II, 2, 150. Cymb. IV, 2, 3. Plur. “brethren:” Ado II, 1, 67. H4B IV, 4, 26. H6C I, 3, 25. Troil. II, 2, 190. Tit. I, 89. Tit. I, 89 Tit. I, 89 Tit. I, 89 Tit. I, 89 Tit. I, 89 V, 1, 104.
B. == half-brother: R3 V, 3, 95.
2) == brother in law: Err. II, 2, 154. III, 2, 25. As V, 2, 20. Shr. V, 2, 6. H4A I, 3, 156. R3 I, 3, 62. IV, 4, 316. Caes. II, 1, 70. IV, 2, 37. IV, 2, 37 Lr. IV, 5, 1. “are the --s parted?” Ant. III, 2, 1.
3) term of endearment for friends: Wint. I, 2, 4. H5 IV Chor. H5 IV Chor. IV, 1, 87. H8 V, 4, 66 “(--s). sworn b.” Ado I, 1, 73. Wint. IV, 4, 607. H4A II, 4, 7. H4B III, 2, 345 (cf. swear). “they shook hands and swore --s,” As V, 4, 107. “my sworn b., the people,” Cor. II, 3, 102. cf. “my b. general, the commonwealth,” H4B IV, 1, 94.
4) fellow-creature: “this guiltwould seem deathworthy in thy b.” Lucr. 635. “we cannot weigh our b. with ourself,” Meas. II, 2, 126. “would call their --s fools,” Merch. I, 1, 99. “amongst my brethren mortal,” H8 III, 2, 148.
5) associate, colleague: “my b. Angelo,” Meas. III, 2, 219. “my b. justice,” Meas. III, 2, 219 “thy b. cardinals,” H8 III, 2, 257. you a b. of us (i. e. a peer), V, 1, 107. “good b.” Tim. III, 4, 7. “I hold you but a subject of this war, not as a b.” Lr. V, 3, 62. cf. Lr. V, 3, 62 Plural brothers: “my co-mates and --s in exile,” As II, 1, 1. him (the mayor) “and all his --s,” H6C IV, 7, 34. “here come our --s,” Tim. V, 2, 13. “any of my --s of the state,” Oth. I, 2, 96. Brethren: “my friends and brethren in these great affairs,” H4B IV, 1, 6. “the mayor and all his brethren,” H5 V Chor. H5 V Chor. R3 III, 7, 44. H8 V, 5, 71. “brethren and sisters of the hold-door trade,” Troil. V, 10, 52. “some certain of your brethren,” Cor. II, 3, 59. Especially kings calling each other “brothers:” Wint. IV, 2, 26. V, 1, 141. V, 3, 5. John II, 547. III, 1, 161. H5 I, 2, 122. II, 4, 75. V, 2, 2.
6) a member of a religious order: “a b. of your order,” Meas. I, 3, 44. “I am a b. of gracious order,” III, 2, 231. “a barefoot b.” Rom. V, 2, 5. Synonymous to friar: Meas. III, 2, 14.
Followed by of: “b. of Gloster,” H6C IV, 5, 16. R3 I, 3, 62. “of England,” John II, 547. III, 1, 161 (cf. of).
Brethren trisyllabic: Tit. I, 89. Tit. I, 89 Tit. I, 89
Shakespeare Lexicon. Alexander Schmidt. Berlin. Georg Reimer. 1902.
This text was converted to electronic form by professional data entry and has been proofread to a high level of accuracy.
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