Толковый словарь английского языка Oxford English Reference - brake

1. n. & v. --n. 1 (often in pl.) a device for checking the motion of a mechanism, esp. a wheel or vehicle, or for keeping it at rest. 2 anything that has the effect of hindering or impeding (shortage of money was a brake on their enthusiasm). --v. 1 intr. apply a brake. 2 tr. retard or stop with a brake. Phrases and idioms brake block a block used to hold a brake shoe. brake drum a cylinder attached to a wheel on which the brake shoe presses to brake. brake fluid fluid used in a hydraulic brake system. brake horsepower the power of an engine reckoned in terms of the force needed to brake it. brake lining a strip of fabric which increases the friction of the brake shoe. brake shoe a long curved block which presses on the brake drum to brake. brake van Brit. a railway coach or vehicle from which the train's brakes can be controlled. Derivatives brakeless adj. Etymology: prob. obs. brake in sense 'machine-handle, bridle' 2. n. a large estate car. Etymology: var. of BREAK(2) 3. n. & v. --n. 1 a toothed instrument used for crushing flax and hemp. 2 (in full brake harrow) a heavy kind of harrow for breaking up large lumps of earth. --v.tr. crush (flax or hemp) by beating it. Etymology: ME, rel. to BREAK(1) 4. n. 1 a thicket. 2 brushwood. Etymology: ME f. OF bracu, MLG brake branch, stump 5. n. bracken. Etymology: ME, perh. shortened f. BRACKEN, -en being taken as a pl. ending 6. archaic past of BREAK(1).