breost

breost (plural breostes or breosten)

1. (Early Middle English) Alternative form of brest (“breast”)

From Proto-Germanic *breustą, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrews- (“to swell”). Cognate with Old Frisian briāst, Old Saxon briost, Old Norse brjóst.

• IPA^(key): /bre͜oːst/

brēost n

1. chest
2. breast
   • c. 990, Wessex Gospels, "Gospel of Saint John", chapter 13, verse 25

     Witodlīce þā hē hlinode ofer ðæs Hǣlendes brēostum, hē cwæð tō him, Drihten, hwæt ys hē?

     Certainly when he leaned over the Healer's (Jesus') breasts, he said to him, Lord, who is he?

3. heart (seat of emotions located in the chest area)

Usual (neuter) declension:

Occasionally it occurs as feminine:

• Middle English: brest, breste, breost, breist, brost, brust, brist, breast, bryest
  • English: brest, breast
  • Scots: brest, breist, breest