brow
noun · verb
Simple meaning
The bony ridge over the eyes, upon which the eyebrows are located.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
browIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈbɹaʊ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
The bony ridge over the eyes, upon which the eyebrows are located.
The peak of a hill
“The sun set behind the brow of distant hills.”
The forehead.
The projecting upper edge of a steep place such as a hill.
figurative
Aspect; appearance; facial expression.
The first tine of an antler's beam.
verb
To bound or limit; to be at, or form, the edge of.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C1 · Advanced
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: The bony ridge over the eyes, upon which the eyebrows are located.
Used this way, brow is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use brow
- “The sun set behind the brow of distant hills.”noun
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Knowing “brow” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.