Properly Sc., but now sometimes used by Eng. writers. Also 5–6 brerd, 6–8 breird, brierd, 8 breard, brere. [The same word with BRERD; the OE. brerd probably, like the Teut. cognates, had the senses of ‘point, spike, blade of grass,’ as well as that of ‘edge,’ though the former are recorded only for the form brord.] The first shoots of grass, corn, or other crops.
c. 1450. Henryson, Mor. Fab., 3. The corne abreird. Ibid., 59. Now it is Lent, now it is hie on brierd.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, XII. Prol. 77. The cornis croppis and the beris new brerd.
1721. Kelly, Scottish Prov., 328. There is no breard like midding breard.
c. 1817. Hogg, Tales & Sk., V. 11. Hares surprised … among the early braird.
1859. Tennent, Ceylon, 25. The delicate braird that springs after the surface has been annually burnt.
