braffin

braffin means A horse collar, especially as used in girning.

Etymology

A variant form of bargham (“horse collar”), of which other forms include bahfam, barcom, barfing, bariham, barsham, braffam, and (with the morphemes reversed) hamburgh, from Middle English berw-ham, bergham, from Old English beorgan (“shelter”) + ham (“cover”). Or else, a link with Welsh breuant (“throat”), from Proto-Celtic *brāgants, has been suggested.

noun

A horse collar, especially as used in girning.e.g.“One former winner hung up his braffin aged eighty-eight after seven decades of competing. His talents had improved with age.” — 2012, Jane Peyton, Brilliant Britain:

Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Words closest in meaning

By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.

horsecollar 63% match — To grab someone by the head or neck, using one's arms and hands as a collar. vs braffin →
ridgeband 62% match — That part of the harness of a cart which goes over the saddle. vs braffin →
girning 61% match — A light-hearted competition in which people girn (make elaborate faces) through a horse collar; most popular in rural parts of England. vs braffin →
breastgirth 60% match — A piece of horse tack for preventing the saddle to slip backwards. vs braffin →
breaststrap 60% match — A piece of horse tack for preventing the saddle from slipping backwards. vs braffin →
brinie 60% match — A coat of mail. vs braffin →
brisky 59% match — Somewhat brisk; lively; energetic. vs braffin →
branks 59% match — A punishment device, especially for scolding women, consisting of a cage to enclose the head, with a metal gag for the mouth; a scold's bridle. vs braffin →