(brāk) noun
1. A device for retarding or arresting the motion of a vehicle, a wheel, etc.
2. A harrow.
3. An instrument for separating the fiber of flax, hemp, etc., by bruising.
4. A lever for working a pump or other machine.
5. A baker's kneading machine.
6. A framework to hold a horse's foot while it is being shod.
7. A machine for extracting juice from fruits and vegetables.
8. An old instrument of torture.
—v. braked, brak·ing v.t.
1. To apply a brake to; reduce the speed of.
2. To bruise and crush, as flax.
3. To pulverize (clods) with a harrow.
4. To knead (dough).
—v.i.
5. To operate a brake or brakes. ◆ Homophone: break. [MDu. braeke brake for flax; infl. in meaning by F brac, var. of bras arm, and by BREAK]

(brāk) noun
Break (def. 7).

(brāk) noun
1. A variety of fern; bracken.
2. A canebrake. ◆ Homophone: break. [ME <braken BRACKEN]

(brāk) noun
A thicket. ◆ Homophone: break. [Cf. MLG brake stumps, broken branches]

(brāk)
Archaic past tense of BREAK.