brat definition

1. A coarse garnment or cloak; also, coarse clothing, in general.

2. A coarse kind of apron for keeping the clothes clean; a bib.

3. A child; an offspring; formerly used in a good sense, but now usually in a contemptuous sense. "This brat is none of mine." "A beggar's brat." "O Israel! O household of the Lord! O Abraham's brats! O brood of blessed seed!" (Gascoigne)

4. The young of an animal.

Origin: OE. Bratt coarse garnment, AS. Bratt cloak, fr. The Celtic; cf. W. Brat clout, rag, Gael. Brat cloak, apron, raf, Ir. Brat cloak; properly then, a child's bib or clout; hence, a child.

<chemical>

A thin bed of coal mixed with pyrites or carbonate of lime.

(01 Mar 1998)