The Oxford Thesaurus An A-Z Dictionary of Synonyms INTRO ...

--v. 3 plait, intertwine, interlace, weave, twist: At school
we learned how to braid leather laces into a belt.
brain n. 1 brains, intelligence, intellect, understanding, sense,
thought, imagination, capacity, perspicacity, perceptiveness,
perception, percipience; wisdom, sagacity, wit, discernment,
acumen; knowledge, cognition: Although she's not yet ten, she
has the brain to become a great mathematician. 2 genius,
mastermind, intellectual; leader, planner: Many people regard
Einstein as the greatest brain of the 20th century. Ivor was
clearly the brains of the operation.
brake n. 1 curb, check, restraint, restriction, constraint, control,
rein: The central bank applied a brake to the upward trend of
the dollar by buying Deutschmarks.
--v. 2 slow, slow up or down, put on or apply the brakes,
reduce speed, decelerate, slacken, hold up: He braked before
the bad curve. She braked the car going down the steep hill.
branch n. 1 offshoot, arm; limb, bough, stem, shoot, twig, sprig: The
branches of this tree need trimming. 2 department, section,
subsection, division, subdivision, office, part, ramification;
affiliate, subsidiary; spin-off: What branch of medicine are
you going to specialize in? The company maintains branches in
New York and Melbourne.
--v. 3 ramify, divide, subdivide, diverge; diversify: This
road branches off in three directions. The company will branch
out into electronics this year.
brand n. 1 kind, make, type, sort, variety; brand name, manufacturer,
maker, trade name, trade mark, label, mark, marque, Chiefly US
and Canadian name brand: Which brand of toothpaste do you
prefer? Our advertising agency is conducting a survey of brand
loyalty.
--v. 2 mark, stamp, identify, tag, label, trade-mark: We sell
only branded merchandise in our shops. 3 label, characterize;
stigmatize, discredit, disgrace: Because his actions at the
front were misinterpreted, Corporal Williams was branded as a
coward.