Standard Lemma guide

brant

adj · name · noun · 11 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /bɹænt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ænt
  • CMU ARPABET: B R AE1 N T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

steep, precipitous.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: dialectal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

smooth; unwrinkled

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Scotland

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

name

Meaning 3

A surname.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

name

Meaning 4

A place in the United States:

A township and unincorporated community therein, in Saginaw County, Michigan.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

name

Meaning 5

A place in the United States:

A town in Erie County, New York.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

name

Meaning 6

A place in the United States:

An unincorporated community in the town of Chilton, Calumet County, Wisconsin.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

name

Meaning 7

A hamlet in Vulcan County, Alberta, Canada.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

name

Meaning 8

A municipality in Ontario, Canada, named Brant County or the County of Brant.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

name

Meaning 9

A river, the River Brant in Lincolnshire, England, a tributary of the River Witham.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

Any of several wild geese, of the genus Branta, that breed in the Arctic, but especially the brent goose, Branta bernicla.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Canada, US

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

noun

Meaning 11

small dark geese that breed in the north and migrate southward

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: brant goose, brent, brent goose

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: goose

Narrower terms: common brant goose, Branta bernicla

History

Etymology

From Middle English brant, from Old English brant (“high, steep”), from Proto-West Germanic *brant, from Proto-Germanic *brantaz (“steep, towering”). Cognate with Scots brent, Old Norse brantr, brattr (Faroese and Icelandic brattur, Danish brat, Norwegian Bokmål bratt, Swedish brant).

English, German, Jewish and Dutch surname, variant of Brand. The family name Brant is of German origin and is derived from the Old High German word "brant," meaning "fire" or "flame." It is believed to have originally been a nickname for someone with a fiery or passionate personality. The family name Brant has several variations that have emerged over time. One common variation is Brandt, which is a popular spelling in Germany and other European countries. Another variation is Bronte, which has Italian origins and is associated with the famous Bronte sisters. Brantley is another variation that has gained popularity in recent years, particularly in the United States. This variation adds a suffix to the original name, giving it a more modern and unique sound. Brantson is yet another variation that has emerged, often used as a surname or a given name. It adds a suffix to the original name, similar to Brantley. These variations of the family name Brant showcase the diverse ways in which names can evolve and adapt over time. The municipality in Ontario is named after Mohawk political leader Joseph Brant (1743 - 1807).

From New Latin/Medieval Latin Branta, latinized form of Old Norse brandgás (“sheldrake”), literally "burnt (black) goose," from Proto-Germanic *brandaz (“burning”) + *gans (“goose”).

Across languages

Translations

19 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: черна гъска (černa gǎska) — wild geese of the genus Branta
  • Czech: berneška — wild geese of the genus Branta
  • Dutch: zwarte gans — wild geese of the genus Branta
  • Dutch: zeegans — wild geese of the genus Branta
  • Finnish: kirjohanhi — wild geese of the genus Branta
  • French: bernarche — wild geese of the genus Branta
  • German: Meergans — wild geese of the genus Branta
  • Greenlandic: nerlernaq — wild geese of the genus Branta
  • Icelandic: margæs — wild geese of the genus Branta
  • Ingrian: lagla — wild geese of the genus Branta
  • Ossetian: казаркӕ (kazarkæ) — wild geese of the genus Branta
  • Polish: bernikla — wild geese of the genus Branta
  • Portuguese: barnacle — wild geese of the genus Branta
  • Portuguese: bernaca — wild geese of the genus Branta
  • Russian: каза́рка (kazárka) — wild geese of the genus Branta
  • Spanish: barnacla — wild geese of the genus Branta
  • Swedish: brantagås — wild geese of the genus Branta
  • Ukrainian: каза́рка (kazárka) — wild geese of the genus Branta
  • Unami: kak — wild geese of the genus Branta