From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Brier \Bri"er\, Briar \Bri"ar\ (br[imac]"[~e]r), n. [OE. brere,
brer, AS. br[=e]r, br[ae]r; cf. Ir. briar prickle, thorn,
brier, pin, Gael. preas bush, brier, W. prys, prysg.]
1. A plant with a slender woody stem bearing stout prickles;
especially, species of {Rosa}, {Rubus}, and {Smilax}.
[1913 Webster]
2. Fig.: Anything sharp or unpleasant to the feelings.
[1913 Webster]
The thorns and briers of reproof. --Cowper.
[1913 Webster]
{Brier root}, the root of the southern {Smilax laurifolia}
and {Smilax Walteri}; -- used for tobacco pipes. See also
2nd {brier}.
{Cat brier}, {Green brier}, several species of Smilax
({Smilax rotundifolia}, etc.)
{Sweet brier} ({Rosa rubiginosa}). See {Sweetbrier}.
{Yellow brier}, the {Rosa Eglantina}.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Brier \Bri"er\, n.
1. the white heath {Erica arborea}. --RHUD.
[PJC]
2. a smoking pipe made of the root of the brier[1].
Note: Brierroot seems to have been used formerly as a term
meaning root of the {Smilax laurifolia} and is now
defined as root of the {Erica arborea}. Not clear when
this changed. -- PJC.
[PJC]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
brier
n 1: tangled mass of prickly plants [syn: {brier}, {brierpatch},
{brier patch}]
2: a thorny stem or twig
3: Eurasian rose with prickly stems and fragrant leaves and
bright pink flowers followed by scarlet hips [syn:
{sweetbrier}, {sweetbriar}, {brier}, {briar}, {eglantine},
{Rosa eglanteria}]
4: a very prickly woody vine of the eastern United States
growing in tangled masses having tough round stems with shiny
leathery leaves and small greenish flowers followed by
clusters of inedible shiny black berries [syn: {bullbrier},
{greenbrier}, {catbrier}, {horse brier}, {horse-brier},
{brier}, {briar}, {Smilax rotundifolia}]
5: evergreen treelike Mediterranean shrub having fragrant white
flowers in large terminal panicles and hard woody roots used
to make tobacco pipes [syn: {tree heath}, {briar}, {brier},
{Erica arborea}]
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