brother-out-law
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]From brother + -out-law, by analogy to brother-in-law.
Noun
[edit]brother-out-law (plural brothers-out-law)
- The brother of one's boyfriend or girlfriend.
- The boyfriend of one's sister or brother.
- c. 1592 (date written), Thomas Heywood, The Foure Prentises of London, […], revised edition, London: […] Nicholas Okes, published 1632, →OCLC, signature [I4], recto:
- Eust[ace]. My brother Out-lavv, and my ovvne true brother! / Cha[rles]. For euer thus let vs embrace each other.
- The brother of one's ex-spouse.