Brief

a.	1.	Short in duration. How brief the life of man. - Shak.
	2.	Concise; terse; succinct. The brief style is that which expresseth much in little. - B. Jonson.
	3.	Rife; common; prevalent. In brief See under Brief, n.
adv.	1.	Briefly. Adam, faltering long, thus answered brief. - Milton.
	2.	Soon; quickly.
n.	1.	A short concise writing or letter; a statement in few words. Bear this sealed brief, With winged hastle, to the lord marshal. - Shak. And she told me In a sweet, verbal brief. - Shak.
	2.	An epitome. Each woman is a brief of womankind. - Overbury.
	3.	(Law) An abridgment or concise statement of a client's case, made out for the instruction of counsel in a trial at law. This word is applied also to a statement of the heads or points of a law argument. It was not without some reference to it that I perused many a brief. - Sir J. Stephen.
	4.	(Law) A writ; a breve. See Breve, n., 2.
	5.	(Scots Law) A writ issuing from the chancery, directed to any judge ordinary, commanding and authorizing that judge to call a jury to inquire into the case, and upon their verdict to pronounce sentence.
	6.	A letter patent, from proper authority, authorizing a collection or charitable contribution of money in churches, for any public or private purpose.
	7.	a type of men's underpants without legs, fitting tightly and held by an elastic waistband; also called Jockey shorts. Apostolical brief a letter of the pope written on fine parchment in modern characters, subscribed by the secretary of briefs, dated "a die Nativitatis," i. e., "from the day of the Nativity," and sealed with the ring of the fisherman. It differs from a bull, in its parchment, written character, date, and seal. See Bull. Brief of title an abstract or abridgment of all the deeds and other papers constituting the chain of title to any real estate. In brief in a few words; in short; briefly. - Shak.
v. t.	1.	To make an abstract or abridgment of; to shorten; as, to brief pleadings.

Noun	1.	brief - a document stating the facts and points of law of a client's case Synonyms: legal brief
	2.	brief - a condensed written summary or abstract
Verb	1.	brief - give essential information to someone; "The reporters were briefed about the President's plan to invade"
Adj.	1.	brief - of short duration or distance; "a brief stay in the country"; "in a little while"; "it's a little way away" Synonyms: little
	2.	brief - concise and succinct; "covered the matter in a brief statement"
	3.	brief - (of clothing) very short; "an abbreviated swimsuit"; "a brief bikini" Synonyms: abbreviated

BRIEF, eccl. law. The name of a kind of papal rescript. Briefs are writings sealed with wax, and differ in this respect from bulls, (q. v.) which are scaled with lead. They are so called, because they usually are short compendious writings. Ayl. Parerg. 132. See Breve.

BRIEF, practice. An abridged statement of a party's case.
     2. It should contain : 1st. A statement of the names of the parties, and of their residence and occupation, the character in which they sue and are sued, and wherefore they prosecute or resist the action. 2d. An abridgment of all the pleadings. 3d. A regular, chronological, and methodical statement of the facts in plain common language. 4th. A summary of the points or questions in issue, and of the proof which is to support such issues, mentioning specially the names of the witnesses by which the facts are to be proved, or if there be written evidence, an abstract of such evidence. 5th. The personal character of the witnesses should be mentioned; whether the moral character is good or bad, whether they are naturally timid or over-zealous, whether firm or wavering. 6th. If known, the evidence of the opposite party, and such facts as are adapted to oppose, confute, or repel it. Perspicuity and conciseness are the most desirable qualities of a brief, but when the facts are material they cannot be too numerous when the argument is pertinent and weighty, it cannot be too extended.
     3. Brief is also used in the sense of breve. (q. v.)

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