brain

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++

Related topics: Human, Biology

brain1 /breɪn/ ●●● S2 W2 noun  1  ORGANorgan 器官 [countable]HBHHB the organ inside your head that controls how you think, feel, and move 脑，大脑 Messages from the brain are carried by the central nervous system. 大脑发出的信息是通过中枢神经系统传递的。 the chemistry of the brain 大脑的化学性质 the human brain 人脑the right/left hemisphere of the brain (=the right or left side of the brain) 右脑/左脑 Emotional responses are a function of the right hemisphere of the brain. 情绪反应是右脑的一项功能。 She died of a brain tumour. 她死于脑瘤。brain tissue/cell 脑组织/脑细胞 →4  See picture of 见图 HUMAN 1 →5 see picture at 见图 human12  intelligence 智力 [countable usually plural, uncountable]INTELLIGENT the ability to think clearly and learn quickly 智力，智慧，头脑，脑筋 If you had any brains, you’d know what I meant. 你如果有点脑子，就会知道我的意思。 The job requires brains. 做这工作需要头脑。 Something’s addled your brains (=made you confused). 什么事让你脑子糊涂了吧。 Come on, use your brain, John. 拜托，动动脑筋，约翰。3  PERSONperson 人 [countable usually plural] informalINTELLIGENT someone who is intelligent, with good ideas and useful skills 极聪明的人，人才 Some of our best brains are leaving the country to work in the US. 我们当中一些最优秀的人才要离开本国去美国工作。 → brain drain4. food 食物 [uncountable] (also brains [plural]) the brain of an animal, used as food 〔供食用的〕动物脑髓5  have something on the brain informalTHINK ABOUT to be always thinking about something 一直想着某事物，牵挂着某事物 I’ve got that song on the brain today. 今天我脑子里一直想着那首歌。6  be the brains behind/of something DEVELOPto be the person who thought of and developed a particular plan, system, or organization, especially a successful one 是某事的策划者[智囊，中枢人物] Danny’s definitely the brains of the project. 丹尼绝对是这个项目的策划者。7  brain dead a) MIin a state where your brain has stopped working properly, even though your heart may still be beating 脑死亡的 b) STUPID/NOT INTELLIGENT informal in a state in which you seem stupid or uninteresting, especially because you live a boring life or are very tired 不会动脑子的，愚蠢的〔尤因生活无聊或极其疲惫〕8. something is not brain surgery informal used to say that something is not difficult to do 某事并不难做 → bird-brain, hare-brained, → beat your brains out at beat1(22), → pick somebody’s brains at pick1(7), → rack your brain(s) at rack2(2)n COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 2: the ability to think clearly and learn quicklyverbshave brainsYou should have more brains than to smoke.use your brainIt’s easy if you just use your brain.rack your brains (=try very hard to think of something)If we all rack our brains we should come up with some ideas.pick somebody’s brains (=ask someone for ideas)I thought I’d pick Greg’s brains about what to take with us.it takes/requires brains to do somethingIt takes brains to think of a plan like that.something addles your brain (=makes you unable to think clearly)The alcohol had addled his brain.adjectivesa good/quick brainIt was obvious that Ann had a good brain.

Examples from the Corpus

brain• If you had any brains at all, you wouldn't ask such a stupid question.• Some of the best brains in the country are here tonight.• Branson has an excellent business brain.• The doctors have found a tumor in his brain.• Doctors feared an air rifle pellet had pierced his brain when the joke went horribly wrong.• His brain is completely scrambled tonight.• An algorithm purporting to match what is presumed to be operating in a human brain would need to be a stupendous thing.• My brain worked fast as I tried to decide what to do.• Ted's got more money than brains.• But the brain is surrounded by the skull, and all that escaped blood takes up space, squeezing the brain.• As our discussion of the brain revealed, alcohol affects nearly everything it touches.• A tumour or trauma in one side of the brain causes a loss in the field of vision on the other side.• They also accept that the brain has certain innate dispositions, if only the disposition to be reinforced by particular stimuli.• Louis was the brain in our class.• The brain has trillions of cells.brain tissue/cell• The sequelae of hypertonicity are believed to result largely from changes in brain cell size.• A biopsy of brain tissue detected the presence of toxoplasmosis, which is relatively harmless in people with normally functioning immune systems.• Presumably the metabolism of brain cells is disrupted and some cells die.• But once converted into prions, they turn deadly, destroying the brain tissue.• The alcohol is now affecting her balance and slowing the brain cells governing learned social behaviour and inhibitions.• You pay for the service with brain cells instead of money, and everyone has simply billions of brain cells on deposit.use ... brain• A number of different neurotransmitter substances are used in brains.• Just to be using brain and muscles and feelings all together at once, and not failing.• He began to take pride in using his brains to avoid trouble.• Receptors come in dozens of varieties, each specially designed to accommodate one of the dozens of neurotransmitters used by the brain.• Today, they primarily use their brains.• These chemical studies have now been complemented by the use of brain scanners.• Monkeys have a minor version of our tendency to use the left brain for listening carefully to rapid sound sequences.• Terry offered a bike to his son if only he would use the good brain he undoubtedly possessed.brain2 verb [transitive] informal  HITto hit someone very hard on the head – used humorously 重击〔某人〕的头部〔幽默用法〕 I wanted to brain him. 我真想把他脑袋打开花。→ See Verb table

Examples from the Corpus

brain• I'll brain you if you don't shut up!Origin brain1 Old English brægen

brain1 noun →n COLLOCATIONS1brain2 verbLDOCE OnlineChinese  

organ your how controls Corpus the that head inside you

brain

I

brain¹ S2 W2 /breɪn/ noun
1.  ORGAN  [countable] the organ inside your head that controls how you think, feel, and move:
    Messages from the brain are carried by the central nervous system.
    the chemistry of the brain
    the human brain
    the right/left hemisphere of the brain (=the right or left side of the brain)
    Emotional responses are a function of the right hemisphere of the brain.
    She died of a brain tumour.
    brain tissue/cell
2.  INTELLIGENCE  [countable usually plural, uncountable] the ability to think clearly and learn quickly:
    If you had any brains, you’d know what I meant.
    The job requires brains.
    Something’s addled your brains (=made you confused).
    Come on, use your brain, John.
3.  PERSON  [countable usually plural] informal someone who is intelligent, with good ideas and useful skills:
    Some of our best brains are leaving the country to work in the US. ⇨ brain drain
4.  FOOD  [uncountable] (also brains [plural]) the brain of an animal, used as food
5. have something on the brain informal to be always thinking about something:
    I’ve got that song on the brain today.
6. be the brains behind/of something to be the person who thought of and developed a particular plan, system, or organization, especially a successful one:
    Danny’s definitely the brains of the project.
7. brain dead
  a. in a state where your brain has stopped working properly, even though your heart may still be beating
  b. informal in a state in which you seem stupid or uninteresting, especially because you live a boring life or are very tired
8. something is not brain surgery informal used to say that something is not difficult to do
⇨ bird-brain, hare-brained, ⇨ beat your brains out at beat¹(22), ⇨ pick sb’s brains at pick¹(7), ⇨ rack your brain(s) at rack²(2)
     

COLLOCATIONS

(for Meaning 2)

■ verbs
   ▪ have brains You should have more brains than to smoke.
   ▪ use your brain It’s easy if you just use your brain.
   ▪ rack your brains (=try very hard to think of something) If we all rack our brains we should come up with some ideas.
   ▪ pick sb’s brains (=ask someone for ideas) I thought I’d pick Greg's brains about what to take with us.
   ▪ it takes/requires brains to do something It takes brains to think of a plan like that.
   ▪ something addles your brain (=makes you unable to think clearly) The alcohol had addled his brain.
■ adjectives
   ▪ a good/quick brain It was obvious that Ann had a good brain.

II

brain² verb [transitive] informal
to hit someone very hard on the head – used humorously:
    I wanted to brain him.