bray

Plural: brays

Noun

the cry of an ass
The cry of an animal, now chiefly that of animals related to the ass or donkey, or the camel.
Any discordant, grating, or harsh sound.

Verb

Verb Forms: brayed, braying, brays

To make a loud, harsh sound like a donkey's cry.
braying characteristic of donkeys
reduce to small pieces or particles by pounding or abrading
laugh loudly and harshly
Of an animal (now chiefly of animals related to the ass or donkey, and the camel): to make its cry.
To make a harsh, discordant sound like a donkey's bray.
To make or utter (a shout, sound, etc.) discordantly, loudly, or in a harsh and grating manner.
To crush or pound, especially using a pestle and mortar.
To hit (someone or something).

Examples

He threw back his head and brayed with laughter.
He wanted to BRAY in frustration after I blocked his only valid move.
Whenever I walked by, that donkey brayed at me.

Origin / Etymology

The verb is derived from Middle English brayen, brai, bray, braye (“of a person or animal: to vocalize loudly; of the weather: to make a loud sound, howl, roar”), from Old French brai, braire (“of an animal: to bray; of a person: to cry or shout out”) (modern French braire (“of an animal: to bray; of a person: to shout; to cry, weep”)), possibly from Vulgar Latin *bragiō, from Gaulish *bragu (compare Breton breugiñ (“to bray”), brammañ (“to flatulate”), Cornish bramma, brabma (“to flatulate”), Old Irish braigid (“to flatulate”)), from Proto-Celtic *brageti, *bragyeti (“to flatulate”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreHg- (“to flatulate; to stink”); cognate with Latin fragrō (“to smell”). Alternatively, the word could be from a Germanic source, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *brekaną (“to break”), and cognate with frangere (“to break, shatter”).
The noun is derived from the verb, or from Middle English brai, brait (“shriek; outcry”), from Old French brai, brait (“a cry”), from braire (“of an animal: to bray; of a person: to shout; to cry, weep”); see above.

Synonyms

comminute, crunch, grind, hee-haw, mash, blore

Scrabble Score: 9

bray: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
bray: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
bray: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 9

bray: valid Words With Friends Word