Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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Bront, Brount, Brunt, n. Also: brwnt. [ME. bront(e, brunt (14th c.), of obscure origin.]

1. A meeting or encounter. c1450-2 Howlat 160.
Four fasandis … Present tham as patriarkis in thar appering, Benyng of obedience, and blyth in the bront

2. An attack or onset; a rush. Freq. with first. c1450-2 Howlat 493.
Wend on … Throw the batell in bront, Ay formast in the front a1500 Doug. King Hart 232.
Hors and men with brount scho straik all doun 1513 Id. Æn. iii. x. 64.
Sone we swepyt by, at the fyrst bront, The sownd Megarus 1531 Bell. Boece II. 243.
In the first bront, the vailyeant campionis … war slane 1533 Id. Livy I. 145/26.
Cocles … sustenit all the first bront and furie of inemyis 1574 Davidson Three Reformers 116.
In that brunt … That day he did full dowghtely 1570 Leslie 198.
Thair wes slayne in the brunt syndrie of the best capitans

b. fig. A shock. 1604 Lett. & State P. Jas. VI 59.
Feiring that the brunt thairof should breid ane mislyking of the vnion amanges the commouns 1616 Sutherland Corr. 121.
I hawe haldin back the first brwnt

3. The front rank(s) of an army. 1513 Doug. ix. viii. 19.
The bront and fors of thar army 1531 Bell. Boece I. 125.
I sall fecht formest in the bront 1533 Id. Livy I. 35/3.
Romulus went haistelie to the formest bront of the army to bring thame to new arraye 1533 Ib. 233/18.
The effray … come fra the hyndmest parte of the armye to the formest bront thareof c1550 Rolland Court of Venus iii. 413.
To be slane in brount of the armie 1596 Dalr. II. 300/16.
The brount of our battel began to flie