Britain

• Brittain (obsolete)

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈbɹɪt.ən/, [ˈbɹɪt.n̩]

• Audio (UK):

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈbɹɪt.ən/, [ˈbɹɪɾ.ᵊn̩], [ˈbɹɪʔ.ᵊn̩]
• Rhymes: -ɪtən
• Hyphenation: Brit‧ain
• Homophone: Briton

From Middle English Britayne, Breteyn, from Anglo-Norman Bretaigne, Bretaine, from Latin Brittannia, variant of Latin Britannia, from Britannī; reinforced by native Old English Breten, from the same Latin source. Ultimately from Proto-Brythonic *Prɨdėn (“Britain”) from *Pritanī (also compare *Prɨdɨn (“Picts”) from *Pritenī), attested to in Ancient Greek as Πρεττανική (Prettanikḗ), compare Welsh Prydain. Doublet of Britannia and Brittany. More at Britto.

Britain (countable and uncountable, plural Britains)

2. (loosely) The United Kingdom, a kingdom and country in Northern Europe including the island of Great Britain as well as Northern Ireland on the northeastern portion of the island of Ireland.
4. Great Britain, a large island (sometimes also including some of the surrounding smaller islands) off the north-west coast of Western Europe, made up of England, Scotland, and Wales; especially (but not exclusively) during antiquity. [from 10th c.]
5. England, Scotland and Wales in combination.
6. (obsolete) Brittany. [from 13th c.]
7. (in the plural) The British Isles.
8. (historical) The British state and its dominions and holdings; the British Empire. [from 17th c.]
9. (in the plural) The British Empire. [from 19th c.]
   • 1874 July 14, The Times:

     The name of 'Britain' […] ought to answer every purpose, or if that be thought too condensed, it may be pluralized into ‘The Britains’.

• (island): Gramarye

• → Hawaiian: Pelekāne
• → Tokelauan: Peletānia

From Middle English brytayn, from Latin Britannus (adjective and noun, plural Britannī), apparently from Brythonic (compare Old Welsh Priten).^[1]

Britain (plural Britains)

1. (now rare, historical) An ancient Briton. [from 15th c.]
   • 2002, L. C. Lambdin, R. T. Lambdin, Companion to Old and Middle English Literature, page 12:

     The Britains’ struggles with the Scots and Picts [...] led to the Britains asking the Romans for help in constructing a great wall.

Britain (comparative more Britain, superlative most Britain)

1. (obsolete) Briton; British. [16th–18th c.]
   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IIII, Canto XI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], part II (books IV–VI), London: […] [Richard Field] for William Ponsonby, →OCLC, page 160:

     [M]ightie Albion, father of the bold / And warlike people which the Britaine Iſlands hold.

• Great Britain
• the British Isles
• the United Kingdom

• Britain (placename) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

• triabin