In the United States army, rank by brevet is conferred, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate,
for "gallant actions or meritorious services." A brevet rank gives no right of command in the particular
corps to which the officer brevetted belongs, and can be exercised only by special assignment of the
President, or on court martial, and detachments composed of different corps, with pay of the brevet
rank when on such duty.
Brevet
(Bre*vet") v. t. [imp. & p. p. Brevetted ; p. pr. & vb. n. Brevetting.] (Mil.) To confer rank
upon by brevet.
Brevet
(Bre*vet"), a. (Mil.) Taking or conferring rank by brevet; as, a brevet colonel; a brevet commission.
Brevetcy
(Bre*vet"cy) n.; pl. Brevetcies (- siz). (Mil.) The rank or condition of a brevet officer.
Breviary
(Bre"vi*a*ry) n.; pl. Breviaries [F. bréviarie, L. breviarium summary, abridgment, neut. noun
fr. breviarius abridged, fr. brevis short. See Brief, and cf. Brevier.]
1. An abridgment; a compend; an epitome; a brief account or summary.
A book entitled the abridgment or breviary of those roots that are to be cut up or gathered.
Holland.
2. A book containing the daily public or canonical prayers of the Roman Catholic or of the Greek Church
for the seven canonical hours, namely, matins and lauds, the first, third, sixth, and ninth hours, vespers,
and compline; — distinguished from the missal.
Breviate
(Bre"vi*ate) n. [L. breviatus, p. p. of breviare to shorten, brevis short.]
1. A short compend; a summary; a brief statement.
I omit in this breviate to rehearse.
Hakluyt.
The same little breviates of infidelity have . . . been published and dispersed with great activity.
Bp.
Porteus.
2. A lawyer's brief. [R.] Hudibras.
Breviate
(Bre"vi*ate) v. t. To abbreviate. [Obs.]
Breviature
(Bre"vi*a*ture) n. An abbreviature; an abbreviation. [Obs.] Johnson.
Brevier
(Bre*vier") n. [Prob. from being originally used in printing a breviary. See Breviary.] (Print.)
A size of type between bourgeois and minion.
This line is printed in brevier type.
Breviloquence
(Bre*vil"o*quence) n. [L. breviloquentia.] A brief and pertinent mode of speaking. [R.]
Breviped
(Brev"i*ped) a. [L. brevis short + pes, pedis, foot: cf. F. brévipède.] (Zoöl.) Having short legs.
— n. A breviped bird.
Brevipen
(Brev"i*pen) n. [L. brevis short + penna wing: cf. F. brévipenne.] (Zoöl.) A brevipennate bird.
Brevipennate
(Brev`i*pen"nate) a. [L. brevis short + E. pennate.] (Zoöl.) Short-winged; — applied to
birds which can not fly, owing to their short wings, as the ostrich, cassowary, and emu.
Brevirostral
(Brev`i*ros"tral Brev`i*ros"trate) a. [L. brevis short + E. rostral, rostrate.] (Zoöl.) Short-
billed; having a short beak.
