English

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Etymology

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Uncertain; probably a collateral form of brusque, but compare Irish briosc, Scottish Gaelic brisg, Welsh brys.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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brisk (comparative brisker or more brisk, superlative briskest or most brisk)

  1. Full of liveliness and activity; characterized by quickness of motion or action.
    Synonyms: lively, spirited, quick
    We took a brisk walk yesterday.
    • 1918, Norman Lindsay, The Magic Pudding, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, page 10:
      On such occasions he would remark--
      "Shaving may add an air that's somewhat brisker,
      For dignity, commend me to the whisker."
    • 2012 December 29, Paul Doyle, “Arsenal's Theo Walcott hits hat-trick in thrilling victory over Newcastle”, in The Guardian[2]:
      Ba, who has been linked with a January move to Arsenal, should have rewarded their brisk start with the opening goal in the 16th minute.
  2. Full of spirit of life; effervescing.
  3. (archaic) Sparkling; fizzy.
    brisk cider
  4. Stimulating or invigorating.
    This morning was a brisk fall day. It wasn't cold enough for frost, but you wanted to keep moving.
    • 1896, A. E. Housman, “Terence, this is stupid stuff”, in A Shropshire Lad:
      Why, if 'tis dancing you would be, / There's brisker pipes than poetry.
  5. Abrupt, curt in one's manner or in relation to others.

Derived terms

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Translations

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The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

See also

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Verb

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brisk (third-person singular simple present brisks, present participle brisking, simple past and past participle brisked)

  1. (transitive, intransitive, often with "up") To make or become lively; to enliven; to animate.

Further reading

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Anagrams

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Albanian

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Etymology

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From Proto-Albanian *britška, from Proto-Slavic *bričьkъ, diminutive of *bričь (id).[1]

Noun

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brisk m (plural brisqe, definite brisku, definite plural brisqet)

  1. razor, penknife

Declension

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References

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  1. ^ Orel, Vladimir E. (2000) A concise historical grammar of the Albanian language: reconstruction of Proto-Albanian[1], Leiden, Boston, Köln: Brill, →ISBN, page 121

Lithuanian

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Alternative forms

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Pronunciation

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Verb

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brìsk

  1. second-person singular imperative of bristi

Norwegian Nynorsk

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Briskebusk på Larvikstranda forma av havvinden

Alternative forms

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Etymology 1

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Possibly onomatopoetic of the sound made when put on fire.[1]

Attested by Jacob Nicolai Wilse in 1780 in his dictionary of Spydeberg dialect.

Noun

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brisk m (definite singular brisken, indefinite plural briskar, definite plural briskane)

  1. juniper
    Synonyms: brake, einer, eine

Etymology 2

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From Middle Low German britse, britsche, briske.

Noun

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brisk m (definite singular brisken, indefinite plural briskar, definite plural briskane)

  1. a wall-bound sleeping bench

References

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  1. ^ “brisk” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.