a. [ F. brut, nasc., brute, fem., raw, rough, rude, brutish, L. brutus stupid, irrational: cf. It. & Sp. bruto. ] 1. Not having sensation; senseless; inanimate; unconscious; without intelligence or volition; as, the brute earth; the brute powers of nature. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Not possessing reason, irrational; unthinking; as, a brute beast; the brute creation. [ 1913 Webster ]

A creature . . . not prone
And brute as other creatures, but endued
With sanctity of reason. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of, a brute beast. Hence: Brutal; cruel; fierce; ferocious; savage; pitiless; as, brute violence. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

The influence of capital and mere brute labor. Playfair. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Having the physical powers predominating over the mental; coarse; unpolished; unintelligent. [ 1913 Webster ]

A great brute farmer from Liddesdale. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Rough; uncivilized; unfeeling. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

brute force, The application of predominantly physical effort to achieve a goal that could be accomplished with less effort if more carefully considered. Figuratively, repetitive or strenuous application of an obvious or simple tactic, as contrasted with a more clever stratagem achieving the same goal with less effort; -- as, the first prime numbers were discovered by the brute force repetition of the Sieve of Eratosthenes. [ PJC ]

n. 1. An animal destitute of human reason; any animal not human; esp. a quadruped; a beast. [ 1913 Webster ]

Brutes may be considered as either aërial, terrestrial, aquatic, or amphibious. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A brutal person; a savage in heart or manners; as unfeeling or coarse person. [ 1913 Webster ]

An ill-natured brute of a husband. Franklin. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- See Beast. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ For bruit. ] To report; to bruit. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a rude or violent manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. Brutality. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Insensibility. “The bruteness of nature.” Emerson. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Pref. em- (L. in) + brute. Cf. Imbrute. ] To brutify; to imbrute. [ 1913 Webster ]

All the man embruted in the swine. Cawthorn. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Imbruted; p. pr. & vb. n. Imbruting. ] [ Pref. im- in + brute: cf. F. abrutir. Cf. Embrute. ] To degrade to the state of a brute; to make brutal. [ 1913 Webster ]

And mixed with bestial slime,
THis essence to incarnate and imbrute. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To sink to the state of a brute. [ 1913 Webster ]

The soul grows clotted by contagion,
Imbodies, and imbrutes, till she quite lose
The divine property of her first being. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of imbruting, or the state of being imbruted. [ R. ] Brydges. [ 1913 Webster ]