BROTHER-IN-LAW (brothers-in-law)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected form: brothers-in-law   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does brother-in-law mean? 

• BROTHER-IN-LAW (noun)
  The noun BROTHER-IN-LAW has 1 sense:

1. a brother by marriage

  Familiarity information: BROTHER-IN-LAW used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BROTHER-IN-LAW (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A brother by marriage

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("brother-in-law" is a kind of...):

in-law; relative-in-law (a relative by marriage)

 Context examples 

Percy Phelps was walking very slowly, leaning upon the arm of his future brother-in-law.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He had started out preaching it to his sister and brother-in-law.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

No, sir. My brother-in-law, Tom, was her father.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Martin contented himself by picturing his brother-in-law's surprise on Sunday morning when he opened his Examiner and saw the article on the treasure-hunters.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

A look of relief passed over my father’s honest face, for he was never very easy in his brother-in-law’s company.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

"Go to the devil!" was his brother-in-law's recommendation.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Emma's attempts to stop her father had been vain; and when he had reached such a point as this, she could not wonder at her brother-in-law's breaking out.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

Brother-in-law of Wickham!

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

A party was formed this evening for going on the following day to see a very fine place about twelve miles from Barton, belonging to a brother-in-law of Colonel Brandon, without whose interest it could not be seen, as the proprietor, who was then abroad, had left strict orders on that head.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

About half a dozen men came forward; and, one being selected by the magistrate, he deposed that he had been out fishing the night before with his son and brother-in-law, Daniel Nugent, when, about ten o’clock, they observed a strong northerly blast rising, and they accordingly put in for port.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)