Meanings
bracken1
plural brackens
- uncountableusuallyAn area of countryside heavily populated by this fern.
Bracken2
- A surname.
- An unincorporated community in Webster County, Missouri, United States, named after Bracken Creek.
- A village in the Rural Municipality of Lone Tree No. 18, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounfern of southeastern Asia; not hardy in cold temperate regions
nounlarge coarse fern often several feet high; essentially weed ferns; cosmopolitan
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
bracken · noun
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰreg-“to break”
- Proto-Germanic*brekaną
- Old Norse*brakni“undergrowth”
- Middle Englishbraken
- Englishbracken
From Middle English braken, probably of Scandinavian/North Germanic origin, from Old Norse *brakni (“undergrowth”), related to Proto-Germanic *brekaną and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg- (“to break”). Cognates include Danish bregne and Swedish bräken (“fern”).
More words from Middle English, Old Norse, Proto-Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Bracken · proper noun
- Middle Low Germanbraak“fallow”
- Middle Englishbracken“fern”
- EnglishBracken
* As an Irish surname, from Ó Breacáin (“descendant of Breacán”), from Breacán, a name diminutive of breac (“spotted”) * As an English surname, from Middle English bracken (“fern”) * As an English habitational surname, from Bracon Ash in Norfolk, Bracken in Yorkshire * As a German surname, from Middle Low German braak (“fallow”) Also compare Brackeen.
More words from Middle English, Middle Low German
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek θηλυπτερίς
- θηλυπτερίς (thēlupterís)any of several coarse ferns
Bulgarian орлова папрат
- орлова папрат (orlova paprat)any of several coarse ferns
Catalan falguera aquilina, falaguera aquilina
- falguera aquilinaany of several coarse ferns
- falaguera aquilinaany of several coarse ferns
Chinese Mandarin 羊齒 /羊齿, 蕨菜
- 羊齒 /羊齿 (yángchǐ)any of several coarse ferns
- 蕨菜 (juécài)any of several coarse ferns
Dutch adelaarsvaren
- adelaarsvarenany of several coarse ferns
Esperanto pteridio
- pteridioany of several coarse ferns
Finnish lännensananjalka
- lännensananjalkaany of several coarse ferns
French ptéridium
- ptéridiumany of several coarse ferns
German Adlerfarne
- Adlerfarneany of several coarse ferns
Hungarian saspáfrány
- saspáfrányany of several coarse ferns
Irish raithneach
- raithneachany of several coarse ferns
Italian felce, felce aquilina
- felceany of several coarse ferns
- felce aquilinaany of several coarse ferns
Japanese 蕨
- 蕨 (warabi)any of several coarse ferns
Korean 고사리
- 고사리 (gosari)any of several coarse ferns
Māori rarauhe, rauaruhe
- rarauheany of several coarse ferns
- rauaruheany of several coarse ferns
- mārohiany of several coarse ferns
- rarauwheany of several coarse ferns
- rārahuany of several coarse ferns
- tākakaany of several coarse ferns
- manehuany of several coarse ferns
Persian کرف
- کرف (karaf)any of several coarse ferns
Polish orlica
- orlicaany of several coarse ferns
Portuguese feto-águia
- feto-águiaany of several coarse ferns
Russian па́поротник-орля́к
- па́поротник-орля́к (páporotnik-orlják)any of several coarse ferns
Scottish Gaelic raineach
- raineachany of several coarse ferns
Spanish helecho
- helechoany of several coarse ferns
Swedish örnbräken
- örnbräkenany of several coarse ferns
Turkish kuzgun otu
- kuzgun otuany of several coarse ferns
Welsh rhedyn ungoes
- rhedyn ungoesany of several coarse ferns
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with bracken
All rhymes →Cite this entry
bracken. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bracken
“bracken.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bracken. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bracken,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bracken.
Source: bracken on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.