Forms: 4 brout, 5 bruyt(e, 5–7 brute, 6 brewte, 6–7 bruite, 5– bruit. [a. F. bruit in same senses, ppl. sb. belonging to bruire vb. to make a noise, roar: corresp. to Pr. bruzer, brugir, OCat. brogir, It. bruire. According to Littré, brugītus, the prototype of bruit, occurs in late L. Diez views with favor a derivation proposed by Ménage from L. rugīre to roar, rugītus roaring, and says that brugit for rugit occurs in Lex Alemann. If this be so, the prefixed b may be due to some onomatopæic alteration.]
1. Noise, din, clamor, sound. arch.
c. 1450. Merlin, 211. Ther sholde ye haue herde soche bruyt and soche noyse.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. xviii. 23. They made a merueilus great brute, wt blowyng of hornes.
1563. Foxe, A. & M., I. 689/2. A brute or noise of wild Beasts.
1612. Drayton, Poly-olb., xv. 240. A shrill and suddaine brute this Prothalamion brake.
1637. R. Hurst, trans. Gombauld’s Endimion (1639), 202–3. A shrill noise of Trumpets, and Clarions, a confused bruite of Cymballs, and all other kinds of Instruments of Copper, and Brasse, issued from the Hills.
1837. Carlyle, Fr. Rev., I. I. III. iii. 57. Testifying, as his wont is, by loud bruit.
a. 1863. Merivale, Rom. Emp. (1865), V. xliii. 219. To check it with the bruit of arms.
2. Report noised abroad, rumor, tidings; matter noised abroad. arch.
1494. Fabyan, VII. 387. Not long after ye brute of this ouerthrowe of the Englysshemen came vnto the towne.
1611. Bible, Nahum iii. 19. All that heare the bruit of thee, shall clap the hands ouer thee.
1671. Evelyn, Mem. (1857), II. 66. There came an uncertain bruit from Barbadoes of some disorder there.
1748. Richardson, Clarissa (1811), III. xiv. 88. Who says Miss Clarissa Harlowe is the paragon of virtue?… Common bruit! Is virtue to be established by common bruit only?
1864. Kirk, Chas. Bold, II. IV. iv. 483. The wildest bruits were greedily credited.
† b. Noising abroad, public utterance. Obs.
1548. Udall, etc., Erasm. Par. Mark x. The bruite or preaching of the Ghospell.
3. Fame, renown, celebrity, reputation. Obs.
c. 1475. Caxton, Jason, 51. The bruit of preu Jason augmented … from day to day.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, XIII. Prol. 193. Quha evir in Latyn hes the bruit or glore.
1549–62. Sternhold & H., Ps. lxviii. 11. His people triumphes make, and purchase brute and fame.
1609. Skene, Reg. Maj., 20. Ane Arbitour sould be of gude brute and fame.
ǁ 4. Med. A name for any of the sounds heard in auscultation; e.g., bruit artériel, bruit de souffle, etc. A French sense; sometimes used in Eng.
