Words: browse, n. and v.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.THE DISPUTE between French and English farmers would not have come about if cattle had simply been left to browse. This might conjure up a happy vision of a cow with hooves crossed upon a chaise-longue as she peruses a reference book, for all the world as if going through the rigours of sustaining a words column.
From old French brost, browse means young shoots and twigs, hence - from the 16th century onwards - cattle fodder and the act of so eating. As a verb, it took the same route, or perhaps directly from the French brouster, and is distinct from graze. Apparently first used of humans' eating by Shakespeare in Cymbeline, the word was adapted by Lamb (fittingly) in 1823 for the skimming of those books of a suitably browsy nature.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments