brows

IPA/bɹˈaʊz/
KK[brˈaʊz]IPA/brˈaʊz/

brows — noun

1. the part of a person's face between the eyes and the hairline

1.nounB2
Definition

the part of a person's face between the eyes and the hairline

Example

Fatima wiped the sweat from her brow after running up three flights of stairs.

collocation: wipe one's brow

A deep frown creased Amara's brow as she read the complicated legal document.

collocation: furrow / crease one's brow

Common collocations
  • wipe one's brow
  • furrow one's brow
  • crease one's brow
  • mop one's brow
  • damp brow
  • furrowed brow
Synonyms
  • forehead

    more common and neutral in everyday speech; 'brow' is more literary

Grammar Patterns

[possessive] + brow

used with possessive adjective

Usage Note

Often used in the singular form 'brow' when referring to one person's forehead. In modern English 'forehead' is more common in everyday speech; 'brow' carries a slightly more literary tone.

Common Mistakes

She wiped sweat from her eyebrows after exercising.
She wiped sweat from her brow after exercising.
'eyebrows' are the hairy lines above the eyes, not the forehead itself.

2. one of the two curved lines of short hairs that grow above the eyes on a person'

2.nounB1
Definition

one of the two curved lines of short hairs that grow above the eyes on a person's face, often used to express emotions through movement

Example

Wei raised one brow when a colleague offered an explanation that made no sense.

raise one's brow — showing doubt or surprise

Priya carefully shapes her brows every morning with a small pair of tweezers.

Common collocations
  • raise one's brows
  • arch one's brows
  • knit one's brows
  • pluck one's brows
  • thick brows
  • shaped brows
Synonyms
  • eyebrow

    the full, more formal term; 'brow' is a common abbreviation

Grammar Patterns

[possessive] + brows

often used with 'raise', 'arch', 'knit'

Usage Note

In informal contexts 'brow' or 'brows' is often used as a shorthand for 'eyebrow'/'eyebrows'. Common verbs paired with this sense include 'raise', 'arch', 'knit', 'furrow', and 'pluck'.

Common Mistakes

She raised her forehead in surprise.
She raised her brows in surprise.
The forehead does not move; eyebrows can be raised to express surprise or doubt.
He knitted his eyebrows together.
He knitted his brows together.
While 'eyebrows' is understandable, the natural idiom uses 'brows' in this fixed expression.

3. the highest part of a hill or the upper edge of a steep slope, cliff, or rock fo

3.nounB2
Definition

the highest part of a hill or the upper edge of a steep slope, cliff, or rock formation where the land begins to drop sharply downward

Example

The hikers stopped at the brow of the hill to admire the valley below.

brow of the hill

Santiago stood at the brow of the cliff, watching waves crash on the rocks below.

brow of the cliff

Common collocations
  • brow of the hill
  • brow of the cliff
  • at the brow of
  • below the brow of
Synonyms
  • crest

    more common for hills; implies the very top line of a slope

  • ridge

    a long narrow top of a hill or mountain range

  • summit

    the absolute highest point; more formal and usually for mountains

Antonyms
  • foot

    the bottom of a hill or mountain

  • base

    the lowest part of a slope or cliff

Grammar Patterns

the brow of [hill / cliff / slope / rock]

Usage Note

Nearly always used with the preposition 'of' to indicate what the brow belongs to (e.g. brow of the hill, brow of the cliff). Unlike senses 1 and 2, this sense is never used in the plural with this meaning.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

The word 'brows' (sense 2) is the most common shorthand for 'eyebrows' — the curved lines of hair above the eyes. 'Eyebrows' is the full, more formal term and is always unambiguous. 'Forehead' (sense 1) is often confused by learners because 'brow' can also mean the forehead itself — but only the eyebrows can be raised, arched, or knitted to express emotion. 'Frown' is related but different: a frown involves the whole face (brows drawn together and mouth turned down), whereas raising one brow is a subtle individual gesture. In everyday language: 'She raised her brows in surprise' (specific, eyebrow-focused) vs 'She frowned in confusion' (whole-face expression).

brows ↗eyebrows ↗forehead ↗frown ↗

Etymology

Proto-Indo-EuropeanProto-GermanicOld EnglishEnglish

The word 'brow' comes from Old English 'brū' meaning 'eyebrow, eyelid, or eyelash', related to Old Norse 'brún' (eyebrow) and Proto-Germanic '*brū-' (eyebrow, brow). It is connected to the ancient Indo-European root '*bhrū-' meaning 'eyebrow'. The sense of 'forehead' (sense 1) developed because the eyebrow sits on the ridge of the forehead. The geographical meaning 'hilltop' or 'edge of a slope' (sense 3) emerged later as a metaphor — the brow of a hill resembles the brow of a face, projecting outward at the top of the body.