brier

Noun (1)

briar (plural briars)

1. Any of many plants with thorny stems growing in dense clusters, such as many in the Rosa, Rubus, and Smilax genera.
   • Youngthes folke now flocken in every where,
     To gather May-buskets and smelling brere1579, Immeritô [pseudonym; Edmund Spenser], “Maye. Ægloga Quinta.”, in The Shepheardes Calender: […], London: […] Hugh Singleton, […], →OCLC
2. (figuratively) Anything that is sharp or unpleasant to the feelings.
   • ¶ And thou ſonne of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their wordes, though bryars and thornes be with thee, and thou doeſt dwell among ſcorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be diſmayed at their lookes, though they be a rebellious houſe.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Ezekiel 2:6

Noun (2)

briar (plural briars)

1. Tree heath (Erica arborea), a thorny Mediterranean shrub.
2. A pipe for smoking, made from the roots of that shrub.
   • Then he put the insulted pipe in his pocket, corked himself up with the immense briar, and sneered at Cripps over the top of it.1913, Norman Lindsay, A Curate in Bohemia, Sydney: N.S.W. Bookstall Co., published 1932, page 12

See all 6 meanings of briar