Standard Lemma guide
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.
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adj
Of, relating to, resembling, or containing brine (“water saturated or strongly impregnated with salt”), such as seawater or tears; salty.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: unbriny
adj
Of a person: difficult to get along with or to like; acerbic, prickly, unlikable.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Especially of the sea: phosphorescent, shining.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
The ocean, the sea.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: humorous, informal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
slightly salty (especially from containing a mixture of seawater and fresh water)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: brackish
Antonyms: none provided
noun
any very large body of (salt) water
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: main
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: body of water, water
History
Etymology tree English brine Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English briny The adjective is from brine (noun) + -y (suffix forming adjectives with the sense ‘having the quality of’). The noun is from the adjective.
Origin uncertain, possibly from Middle English brine (“act of burning; fire”, noun), from Old English bryne (“act of burning; fire, flame; heat”), from Proto-Germanic *bruniz (“act of burning; fire”), from *brinnaną (“to be on fire, burn”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bhrewh1- (“to boil; to brew”).
