CIDE DICTIONARY

Bray, v. t. [OE. brayen, OF. breier, F. broyer to pound, grind, fr. OHG. brehhan to break. See Break.].

To pound, beat, rub, or grind small or fine. [1913 Webster]

"Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar, . . . yet will not his foolishness depart from him." [1913 Webster]

Bray, v. i. [OE brayen, F. braire to bray, OF. braire to cry, fr. LL. bragire to whinny; perh. fr. the Celtic and akin to E. break; or perh. of imitative origin.].

To utter a loud, harsh cry, as an ass. [1913 Webster]
"Laugh, and they
Return it louder than an ass can bray." [1913 Webster]
To make a harsh, grating, or discordant noise. [1913 Webster]
"Heard ye the din of battle bray?" [1913 Webster]

Bray, v. t.

To make or utter with a loud, discordant, or harsh and grating sound. [1913 Webster]

"Arms on armor clashing, brayed
Horrible discord." [1913 Webster]

"And varying notes the war pipes brayed." [1913 Webster]

Bray, n.

The harsh cry of an ass; also, any harsh, grating, or discordant sound. [1913 Webster]

"The bray and roar of multitudinous London." [1913 Webster]

Bray, n. [OE. braye, brey, brew, eyebrow, brow of a hill, hill, bank, Scot. bra, brae, bray, fr. AS. br eyebrow, influenced by the allied Icel. br eyebrow, bank, also akin to AS. br eyebrow. See Brow.].

A bank; the slope of a hill; a hill. See Brae, which is now the usual spelling. Fairfax. [1913 Webster]

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OXFORD DICTIONARY

Bray, n. & v.
--n. a the cry of a donkey. b a sound like this cry, e.g. that of a harshly-played brass instrument, a laugh, etc.
--v.
1 intr. make a braying sound.
2 tr. utter harshly.

Bray, v.tr. archaic pound or crush to small pieces, esp. with a pestle and mortar.

Etymology

ME f. AF braier, OF breier f. Gmc

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THESAURUS

Bray
abrade, atomize, bark, bawl, bay, beat, beep, belch, bell, bellow, blare, blast, blat, blate, bleat, blow, blow the horn, blubber, boom, breathe, brecciate, buck, bugle, burr, buzz, cackle, call, caterwaul, caw, chant, chirp, chirr, clang, clangor, clank, clarion, clash, comminute, contriturate, coo, craunch, croak, crow, crumb, crumble, crump, crunch, crush, cry, disintegrate, drawl, exclaim, fanfare, flour, flourish of trumpets, flute, fragment, gasp, give tongue, give voice, grain, granulate, granulize, grate, grind, grind to powder, groan, growl, grumble, grunt, hiss, honk, howl, jangle, jar, keen, levigate, lilt, low, mash, meow, mew, mewl, miaow, mill, moo, mumble, murmur, mutter, neigh, nicker, pant, peal, pestle, pipe, pound, powder, pule, pulverize, rasp, reduce to powder, roar, rumble, scranch, scrape, scratch, screak, scream, screech, scrunch, shard, shred, shriek, sibilate, sigh, sing, smash, snap, snarl, snore, snort, sob, sound, sound a tattoo, sound taps, squall, squash, squawk, squeak, squeal, tantara, tantarara, taps, tarantara, tattoo, thunder, toot, tootle, triturate, troat, trumpet, trumpet blast, trumpet call, twang, tweedle, ululate, wail, warble, whicker, whine, whinny, whisper, whistle, wind, yap, yawl, yawp, yell, yelp, yip, yowl

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ROGET THESAURUS

Bray

Pulverulence
VB come to dust, be disintegrated, be reduced to powder reduce to powder, grind to powder, pulverize, comminute, granulate, triturate, levigate, scrape, file, abrade, rub down, grind, grate, rasp, pound, bray, bruise, contuse, contund, beat, crush, cranch, craunch, crunch, scranch, crumble, disintegrate, attenuate.

Ululation
VB cry, roar, bellow, blare, rebellow, growl, snarl, bark, bow-wow, yelp, bay, bay at the moon, yap, yip, yipe, growl, yarr, yawl, snarl, howl, grunt, gruntle, snort, squeak neigh, whinny, bray, mew, mewl, meow, purr, caterwaul, pule, baa, bleat, low, moo, troat, croak, peep, coo, gobble, quack, honk, gaggle, guggle, crow, caw, squawk, screech cackle, cluck, clack, chuck, chuckle, hoot, hoo, chirp, cheep, chirrup, twitter, cuckoo, warble, trill, tweet, pipe, whistle, hum, buzz, hiss, blatter, ratatat.

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