\Brief\, a. [OE. bref, F. brief, bref, fr. L. brevis; akin
to Gr. ? short, and perh. to Skr. barh to tear. Cf. {Breve}.]
1. Short in duration.
         How brief the life of man.            --Shak.
2. Concise; terse; succinct.
         The brief style is that which expresseth much in
         little.                               --B. Jonson.
3. Rife; common; prevalent. [Prov. Eng.]
{In brief}. See under {Brief}, n.
Syn: Short; concise; succinct; summary; compendious;
     condensed; terse; curt; transitory; short-lived.

\Brief\, adv.
1. Briefly. [Obs. or Poetic]
         Adam, faltering long, thus answered brief. --Milton.
2. Soon; quickly. [Obs.] --Shak.

\Brief\ (br[=e]f), n. [See {Brief}, a., and cf. {Breve}.]
1. A short concise writing or letter; a statement in few
   words.
         Bear this sealed brief, With winged hastle, to the
         lord marshal.                         --Shak.
         And she told me In a sweet, verbal brief. --Shak.
2. An epitome.
         Each woman is a brief of womankind.   --Overbury.
3. (Law) An abridgment or concise statement of a client's
   case, made out for the instruction of counsel in a trial
   at law. This word is applied also to a statement of the
   heads or points of a law argument.
         It was not without some reference to it that I
         perused many a brief.                 --Sir J.
                                               Stephen.
Note: In England, the brief is prepared by the attorney; in
      the United States, counsel generally make up their own
      briefs.
4. (Law) A writ; a breve. See {Breve}, n., 2.
5. (Scots Law) A writ issuing from the chancery, directed to
   any judge ordinary, commanding and authorizing that judge
   to call a jury to inquire into the case, and upon their
   verdict to pronounce sentence.
6. A letter patent, from proper authority, authorizing a
   collection or charitable contribution of money in
   churches, for any public or private purpose. [Eng.]
{Apostolical brief}, a letter of the pope written on fine
   parchment in modern characters, subscribed by the
   secretary of briefs, dated ``a die Nativitatis,'' i. e.,
   ``from the day of the Nativity,'' and sealed with the ring
   of the fisherman. It differs from a bull, in its
   parchment, written character, date, and seal. See {Bull}.
{Brief of title}, an abstract or abridgment of all the deeds
   and other papers constituting the chain of title to any
   real estate.
{In brief}, in a few words; in short; briefly. ``Open the
   matter in brief.'' --Shak.

\Brief\, v. t.
To make an abstract or abridgment of; to shorten; as, to
brief pleadings.