# bra

> English word · Noun · IPA /bɹɑː/ · frequency rank #8,898

## Definitions
1. An item of clothing, usually underwear worn to support the breasts.

## Etymology
Clipping of brassiere, borrowed from French brassière, from Old French braciere (originally a lining inside armor to protect the arm, but later a garment), from Old French brace (“arm”), from Latin bracchia, plural of Latin bracchium (“forearm”), from Ancient Greek βραχίων (brakhíōn, “forearm”), from Proto-Hellenic *brəkʰús (“short”) (because the forearm is shorter than the upper arm), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *mréǵʰus.

## Easily confused with
- **by** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bra-vs-by)
- **BS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bra-vs-bs)
- **Bt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bra-vs-bt)
- **BW** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bra-vs-bw)
- **BX** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bra-vs-bx)
- **but** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bra-vs-but)
- **buy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bra-vs-buy)
- **bus** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bra-vs-bus)
- **bro** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bra-vs-bro)
- **bye** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bra-vs-bye)
- **bug** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bra-vs-bug)
- **bud** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bra-vs-bud)
- **BTW** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bra-vs-btw)
- **bum** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bra-vs-bum)
- **bun** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bra-vs-bun)
- **BTC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bra-vs-btc)
- **BTS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bra-vs-bts)
- **BYU** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bra-vs-byu)
- **BRB** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bra-vs-brb)
- **BSA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bra-vs-bsa)

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/bra