All 3 Uses of
brief
in
Washington Square
Uses with a very common or rare meaning:
- And with this, Mrs. Penniman offered her niece a brief good-night, and withdrew to her own apartment.†
Chpt 17
- He made his visits as brief as possible, and while he sat with his mistress, found terribly little to talk about.†
Chpt 29 *
- These notes were so brief that I may give them entire.†
Chpt 30
Definition:
-
(meaning too common or rare to warrant focus) Brief is most commonly encountered as an adjective meaning "of short duration." Other meanings derive from the idea of short--as when making a long story short by summarizing it, or when wearing briefs (underwear).