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Historical narration on a small scale; a brief recital; a story. Emerson.

A brief space of time between the recurrence of similar conditions or states; as, the interval between paroxysms of pain; intervals of sanity or delirium.

To set down; to make a brief note of; -- usually followed by down.

sound. To knit up, to wind up; to conclude; to come to a close. "It remaineth to knit up briefly with the nature and compass of the seas." [Obs.] Holland.

Expressing much in few words, after the manner of the Laconians or Spartans; brief and pithy; brusque; epigrammatic. In this sense laconic is the usual form. I grow laconic even beyond laconicism; for sometimes I return only yes, or no, to questionary or petitionary epistles of half a yard long. Pope. His sense was str…

A vigorous, brief manner of expression; laconic style.

To imitate the manner of the Laconians, especially in brief, pithy speech, or in frugality and austerity.

Having length; rather long or too long; prolix; not brief; -- said chiefly of discourses, writings, and the like. "Lengthy periods." Washington. "Some lengthy additions." Byron. "These would be details too lengthy." Jefferson. "To cut short lengthy explanations." Trench.

A brief writing of any kind, esp. a declaration, bill, certificate, request, supplication, etc. [Obs.] Chaucer. A libel of forsaking [divorcement]. Wyclif (Matt. v. 31).

Short in duration; brief; as, a little sleep. Best him enough: after a little time, I'll beat him too. Shak.

a man; not childish or womanish; manlike, esp. brave, courageous, resolute, noble. Let's briefly put on manly readiness. Shak. Serene and manly, hardened to sustain The load of life. Dryden.

A brief or informal note in writing of some transaction, or an outline of an intended instrument; an instrument drawn up in a brief and compendious form. Memorandum check, a check given as an acknowledgment of indebtedness, but with the understanding that it will not be presented at bank unless the maker fails to take…

A brief calendar of the lives of the saints for each day in the year, or a simple remembrance of those whose lives are not written.

A speaking or notice of anything, -- usually in a brief or cursory manner. Used especially in the phrase to make mention of. I will make mention of thy righteousness. Ps. lxxi. 16. And sleep in dull, cold marble, where no mention Of me more must be heard of. Shak.

transference of the relation between one set of objects to another set for the purpose of brief explanation; a compressed simile; e. g., the ship plows the sea. Abbott & Seeley. "All the world's a stage." Shak.

To set down a short sketch or note of; to jot down; to make a minute or a brief summary of. The Empress of Russia, with her own hand, minuted an edict for universal tolerance. Bancroft.

Lasting but a moment; brief. Not one momental minute doth she swerve. Breton.

A note or brief strain on a bugle. Sir W. Scott.

number or quantity a certain number of times; commonly, the process of ascertaining by a briefer computation the result of such repeated additions; also, the rule by which the operation is performed; -- the reverse of division.

tem of characters, symbols, or abbreviated expressions used in art or science, to express briefly technical facts, quantities, etc. Esp., the system of figures, letters, and signs used in arithmetic and algebra to express number, quantity, or operations.