1. That part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centres; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord
   "The brain is protected by the skull and meninges";
   - encephalon
    
2. That which is responsible for one's thoughts, feelings, and conscious brain functions; the seat of the faculty of reason
   "his brain wandered";
   - mind, head, loaf [Brit, informal]
    
3. Mental ability
   "he's got plenty of brains but no common sense";
   - brainpower, learning ability, mental capacity, mentality, wit, smarts [N. Amer, Austral, informal]
    
4. Someone who has exceptional intellectual ability and originality
   "The young brain solved complex mathematical problems with ease";
   - genius, mastermind, brainiac [N. Amer], Einstein, wonder, smart cookie [N. Amer, informal], brainbox [Brit, informal]
    
5. The brain of certain animals used as meat
   "Some cultures consider brain a delicacy"

1. Hit on the head
   "The falling debris brained the unfortunate worker"
    
2. Kill by smashing someone's skull
   "The attacker brained the victim with a heavy object"

Sounds like: brane

Derived forms: brains, brained, braining

Type of: cognition, hit, intellect, intellectual, intelligence, kill, neural structure, noesis [technical], organs, variety meat

Part of: bean [informal], bonce [Brit, informal], caput [technical], central nervous system, CNS, dome [informal], head, melon [informal], napper [Brit, informal], nob [informal], noggin [informal], noodle [informal], nut [informal], skull [informal], systema nervosum centrale

Encyclopedia: Brain, George