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(), a.[OE. bref, F. brief, bref, fr. L. brevis; akin to Gr. short, and perh. to Skr. barh to tear. Cf. Breve.] 1. Short in duration. How brief the life of man. Shak. 2. Concise; terse; succinct. The brief style is that which expresseth much in little. B. Jonson. 3. Rife; common; prevalent. [Prov. Eng.] In brief. See under Brief, n. Syn. -- Short; concise; succinct; summary; compendious; condensed; terse; curt; transitory; short-lived. Brief adv. 1. Briefly. [Obs. or Poetic] Adam, faltering long, thus answered brief. Milton. 2. Soon; quickly. [Obs.] Shak. Brief (brf), n.[See Brief, a., and cf. Breve.] 1. A short concise writing or letter; a statement in few words. Bear this sealed brief, With winged hastle, to the lord marshal. Shak. And she told me In a sweet, verbal brief. Shak. 2. An epitome. Each woman is a brief of womankind. Overbury. 3. (Law) An abridgment or concise statement of a client's case, made out for the instruction of counsel in a trial at law. This word is applied also to a statement of the heads or points of a law argument. It was not without some reference to it that I perused many a brief. Sir J. Stephen. In England, the brief is prepared by the attorney; in the United States, counsel generally make up their own briefs. 4. (Law) A writ; a breve. See Breve, n., 2. 5. (Scots Law) A writ issuing from the chancery, directed to any judge ordinary, commanding and authorizing that judge to call a jury to inquire into the case, and upon their verdict to pronounce sentence. 6. A letter patent, from proper authority Brief v. t.To make an abstract or abridgment of; to shorten; as, to brief pleadings. スポンサード リンク
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