NYT Dictionary

BROW

/bɹaʊ/
NounVerbBROWGrade 5

Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025, 2026

Meaning

The bony ridge over the eyes, upon which the eyebrows are located.

Etymology

Origin: Old English

From Middle English browe, from Old English brū, from Proto-West Germanic *brāwu, from Proto-Germanic *brūwō, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃bʰrúHs (“brow”). Cognate with Scots broo (“brow”), Dutch brauw (“brow”), German Braue (“eyebrow”), Danish, Norwegian Nynorsk and Swedish bryn (“brow”), Faroese, Icelandic brún (“brow”). See also Middle Irish brúad, Tocharian B pärwāne (“eyebrows”), Lithuanian bruvi̇̀s, Serbo-Croatian obrva (“eyebrow”), Russian бровь (brovʹ, “brow”), Ancient Greek ὀφρύς (ophrús, “eyebrow”), Sanskrit भ्रू (bhrū, “eyebrow”)), Persian ابرو (abru, “eyebrow”), Khowar بروُ (bruú, “eyebrow”).

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

foreheadeyebrowsuperciliumhilltopacmeairapexapogeebankbean

NYT Puzzle Appearances

Accepted in 4 recorded puzzles:

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