# bride

Pronunciation: say "BRYD" /bɹaɪd/

## Noun

1. A woman at the time of her wedding, either about to marry or just married.
   - Simple: A woman who is getting married or has just gotten married.
   - _The bride and groom exchanged vows in front of their families._
   - _Photographers spent an hour taking pictures of the bride before the reception._
2. A single loop or similar link that connects the separate pattern areas in a piece of lace.
   - Simple: A small loop of thread that joins the pattern pieces in lace.
   - _The lacemaker added a fine bride between the two floral motifs._
   - _A broken bride had left part of the design hanging loose._

## Noun

3. A thing or pursuit loved with the deep devotion one might give a spouse. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A thing that someone loves with deep, complete devotion.
   - _The poet wrote of science as his bride, wedded to her in lifelong study._
   - _For years his garden was his bride, and he tended it with quiet passion._

## Verb

4. To make a woman into a bride; to take or give in marriage. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To make a woman someone's bride by marrying her.
   - _He swore he would bride her once the war was over._
   - _No fortune could persuade her father to let him bride the girl._

## Origin

**Meanings 1, 3–4** — From Middle English bride, from Old English brȳd ("bride"), from Proto-West Germanic *brūdi and Proto-Germanic *brūdiz. It is related to Dutch bruid, German Braut, Danish brud, and Swedish brud.
**Meaning 2** — Borrowed from French bride ("bridle").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/bride (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).