brother
    n 1: a male with the same parents as someone else; "my brother
         still lives with our parents" [syn: brother, blood
         brother] [ant: sis, sister]
    2: a male person who is a fellow member (of a fraternity or
       religion or other group); "none of his brothers would betray
       him"
    3: a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their
       activities [syn: buddy, brother, chum, crony, pal,
       sidekick]
    4: used as a term of address for those male persons engaged in
       the same movement; "Greetings, comrade!" [syn: brother,
       comrade]
    5: (Roman Catholic Church) a title given to a monk and used as
       form of address; "a Benedictine Brother"

Brother \Broth"er\ (br[u^][th]"[~e]r), n.; pl. Brothers
   (br[u^][th]"[~e]rz) or Brethren (br[e^][th]"r[e^]n). See
   Brethren. [OE. brother, AS. br[=o][eth]or; akin to OS.
   brothar, D. broeder, OHG. pruodar, G. bruder, Icel.
   br[=o][eth]ir, Sw. & Dan. broder, Goth. br[=o][thorn]ar, Ir.
   brathair, W. brawd, pl. brodyr, Lith. brolis, Lett. brahlis,
   Russ. brat', Pol. & Serv. brat, OSlav. bratr[u^], L. frater,
   Skr. bhr[=a]t[.r], Zend bratar brother, Gr. fra`thr, fra`twr,
   a clansman. The common plural is Brothers; in the solemn
   style, Brethren, OE. pl. brether, bretheren, AS. dative
   sing. br[=e][eth]er, nom. pl. br[=o][eth]or, br[=o][eth]ru.
   [root]258. Cf. Friar, Fraternal.]
   1. A male person who has the same father and mother with
      another person, or who has one of them only. In the latter
      case he is more definitely called a half brother, or
      brother of the half blood.

   Note: A brother having the same mother but different fathers
         is called a uterine brother, and one having the same
         father but a different mother is called an agnate
         brother, or in (Law) a consanguine brother. A
         brother having the same father and mother is called a
         brother-german or full brother. The same modifying
         terms are applied to sister or sibling.
         [1913 Webster +PJC]

               Two of us in the churchyard lie,
               My sister and my brother.          --Wordsworth.
         [1913 Webster]

   2. One related or closely united to another by some common
      tie or interest, as of rank, profession, membership in a
      society, toil, suffering, etc.; -- used among judges,
      clergymen, monks, physicians, lawyers, professors of
      religion, etc. "A brother of your order." --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

            We few, we happy few, we band of brothers,
            For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
            Shall be my brother.                  --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. One who, or that which, resembles another in distinctive
      qualities or traits of character.
      [1913 Webster]

            He also that is slothful in his work is brother to
            him that is a great waster.           --Prov. xviii.
                                                  9.
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            That April morn
            Of this the very brother.             --Wordsworth.
      [1913 Webster]

   Note: In Scripture, the term brother is applied to a kinsman
         by blood more remote than a son of the same parents, as
         in the case of Abraham and Lot, Jacob and Laban. In a
         more general sense, brother or brethren is used for
         fellow-man or fellow-men.
         [1913 Webster]

               For of whom such massacre
               Make they but of their brethren, men of men?
                                                  --Milton.
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   Brother Jonathan, a humorous designation for the people of
      the United States collectively. The phrase is said to have
      originated from Washington's referring to the patriotic
      Jonathan Trumbull, governor of Connecticut, as "Brother
      Jonathan."

   Blood brother. See under Blood.
      [1913 Webster]

Brother \Broth"er\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Brothered.]
   To make a brother of; to call or treat as a brother; to admit
   to a brotherhood. --Sir W. Scott.
   [1913 Webster]

Brother
   (1.) In the natural and common sense (Matt. 1:2; Luke 3:1, 19).
   
     (2.) A near relation, a cousin (Gen. 13:8; 14:16; Matt. 12:46;
   John 7:3; Acts 1:14; Gal. 1:19).
   
     (3.) Simply a fellow-countryman (Matt. 5:47; Acts 3:22; Heb.
   7:5).
   
     (4.) A disciple or follower (Matt. 25:40; Heb. 2:11, 12).
   
     (5.) One of the same faith (Amos 1:9; Acts 9:30; 11:29; 1 Cor.
   5:11); whence the early disciples of our Lord were known to each
   other as brethren.
   
     (6.) A colleague in office (Ezra 3:2; 1 Cor. 1:1; 2 Cor. 1:1).
   
     (7.) A fellow-man (Gen. 9:5; 19:7; Matt. 5:22, 23, 24; 7:5;
   Heb. 2:17).
   
     (8.) One beloved or closely united with another in affection
   (2 Sam. 1:26; Acts 6:3; 1 Thess. 5:1). Brethren of Jesus (Matt.
   1:25; 12:46, 50: Mark 3:31, 32; Gal. 1:19; 1 Cor. 9:5, etc.)
   were probably the younger children of Joseph and Mary. Some have
   supposed that they may have been the children of Joseph by a
   former marriage, and others that they were the children of Mary,
   the Virgin's sister, and wife of Cleophas. The first
   interpretation, however, is the most natural.
   

BROTHER, domest. relat. He who is born from the same father and mother with 
another, or from one of them only. 
     2. Brothers are of the whole blood, when they are born of the same 
father and mother, and of the half blood, when they are the issue of one of 
them only. 
     3. In the civil law, when they are the children of the same father and 
mother, they are called brothers germain; when they descend from the same 
father, but not the same mother, they are consanguine brothers; when they 
are the issue of the same mother, but not the same father, they are uterine 
brothers. A half brother, is one who is born of the same father or mother, 
but not of both. One born of the same parents before they were married, a 
left-sided brother; and a bastard born of the same father or mother, is 
called a natural brother. Vide Blood; Half-blood; Line; and Merl. Repert. 
mot Frere; Dict. de Jurisp. mot Frere; Code, 3, 28, 27 Nov. 84, praef; 
Dane's Ab. Index, h. t.