bran

noun

ˈbran 

: the edible broken seed coats of cereal grain separated from the flour or meal by sifting or bolting

Examples of bran in a Sentence

The doctor told me to eat more bran because it is a good source of fiber.

Recent Examples on the Web

Because the bran is intact, the bread has a noticeable but not unpleasant mild grit. —Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 13 May 2026

Better-tasting and better-for-you, these bran muffins are sweetened with maple syrup, tenderized with yogurt, and bake up light and fluffy in just 30 minutes. —Victoria Spencer, Martha Stewart, 12 May 2026

Rice bran oil softens and conditions skin, while vitamin E provides antioxidant protection against environmental stressors. —Jailynn Taylor, Allure, 10 May 2026

Rice bran oil, tocopherol (a derivative of vitamin E), and dimethicone blend together to smooth hair and boost shine. —Deanna Pai, Vogue, 27 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English bran, bren, bryne, borrowed from Anglo-French bren, brin, bran (continental Old French brent, bran), going back to Gallo-Romance *brenno- (whence also Old Occitan bren "bran"), probably of pre-Roman substratal origin

Note: The etymon *brenno- is attested in most of the Gallo-Romance speech area, as well as in Catalan (14th-century breny) and Aragonese; older Spanish and Portuguese bren are most likely loans from Gallo-Romance. The word also exists in Romansh (Surselvan dialect bren "groats," Vallader dialect "bran") and in dialects of Upper Italian. Evidence for a feminine variant *brenna- is found mainly in central and southern Italian dialects (see Lessico etimologico italiano). The earliest form known is feminine, brinna in the Formulae imperiales of Louis the Pious (9th century), where bran is mentioned as food for dogs. In Middle French bran begins to appear in the sense "excrement, shit," which at least regionally may have led to replacement of bran in the sense "bran" by son (going back to Latin secundus "second," bran being a product of a second sifting of the flour). — A Celtic origin has been suggested for *brenno-, though Welsh brann, bran "bran" and Breton brenn are more likely loanwords from English and French, respectively.

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bran

• an
• ban
• can
• cann
• clan
• duan
• fan
• flan
• gran
• jann
• klan
• lan

Kids Definition

bran

noun

ˈbran 

: the edible broken coat of the seed of a cereal grain left after the grain has been ground and the flour or meal sifted out

Medical Definition

bran

noun

ˈbran 

: the edible broken seed coats of cereal grain separated from the flour or meal by sifting or bolting