| brown bill | A bill or halberd of the 16th and 17th centuries. See 4th Bill. "Many time, but for a sallet, my brainpan had been cleft with a brown bill." (Shak) The black, or as it is sometimes called, the brown bill, was a kind of halberd, the cutting part hooked like a woodman's bill, from the back of which projected a spike, and another from the head. Origin: Brown + bill cutting tool. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| Brown-Brenn stain | <technique> A method for differential staining of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in tissue sections; it utilises a modified Gram stain of crystal violet, Gram's iodine, and basic fuchsin. (05 Mar 2000) |
| brown fat | A thermogenic type of adipose tissue containing a dark pigment, and arising during embryonic life in certain specific areas in many mammals, including man. It is prominent in the newborn of all species in which it occurs and remains a distinct and conspicuous tissue in the adults of certain species, especially those that hibernate. It is also called brown adipose tissue. (12 Dec 1998) |
| brown fat cell | <pathology> Brown fat is specialised for heat production and the adipocytes have many mitochondria in which an inner membrane protein can act as an uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation allowing rapid thermogenesis. (18 Nov 1997) |
| Brown, Harold | <person> U.S. Ophthalmologist, *1898. See: Brown's syndrome. (05 Mar 2000) |
| brown induration of the lung | A condition characterised by firmness of the lungs, and a brown colour associated with haemosiderin-pigmented macrophages in alveoli, consequent upon long-continued congestion due to heart disease. Synonym: pigment induration of the lung. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Brown, James | <person> U.S. Plastic surgeon, 1899-1971. See: Blair-Brown graft, Brown-Adson forceps. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Brown, James H | <person> U.S. Microbiologist, *1884. See: Brown-Brenn stain. (05 Mar 2000) |
| brown layer | An exceedingly delicate layer of loose, pigmented connective tissue on the inner surface of the sclera, connecting it with the choroid. Synonym: lamina fusca sclerae, brown layer, membrana fusca. (05 Mar 2000) |
| brown lung | Obstructive airway disease with asthma produced by exposure to cotton dust, flax or hemp. See: byssinosis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| brown oedema | Oedema of the lungs associated with chronic passive congestion. (05 Mar 2000) |
| brown pellicle | A thin film (about 1 um), derived mainly from salivary glycoproteins, which forms over the surface of a cleansed tooth crown when it is exposed to the saliva. Synonym: acquired cuticle, acquired enamel cuticle, brown pellicle, posteruption cuticle. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Brown, Robert | <person> English botanist, 1773-1858. See: brownian motion, brownian movement, brownian-Zsigmondy movement. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Brown-Sequard, Charles | <person> French physiologist and neurologist, 1817-1894. See: Brown-Sequard's paralysis, Brown-Sequard's syndrome. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Brown-Sequard's paralysis | <neurology, syndrome> A type of spinal cord lesion that is characterised by hemiparaplegia and hyperesthesia, but with loss of motor function on the same side as the lesion and hemianaesthesia on the opposite side. (27 Sep 1997) |