Britain

plural Britains · alternative obsolete Brittain

1. broadlycountableuncountableThe United Kingdom, a kingdom and country in Northern Europe including the island of Great Britain as well as Northern Ireland on the northeastern portion of the island of Ireland.

   1 more example

   With the eclipse of Empire, and the emergence of America and Russia, it was inevitable that we would lose comparative power and influence—and to be sure we have been in relative economic decline since the middle of the nineteenth century (when we were still producing two thirds of the world's energy, and half its iron and cotton cloth and when per capita income in Britain was over twice that in Germany and one third greater than in France).

   1979 March 31, Nicholas Henderson, Britain's Decline: Its Causes and Consequences

2. countableuncountableGreat Britain, a large island (sometimes also including some of the surrounding smaller islands) off the north-west coast of Western Europe, made up of England, Scotland, and Wales; especially (but not exclusively) during antiquity.First known use 10th c.

   Synonyms: Gramarye

3. countableuncountableEngland, Scotland and Wales in combination.
4. countableobsoleteuncountableBrittany.First known use 13th c.
5. countablein pluraluncountableThe British Isles.
6. countablehistoricaluncountableThe British state and its dominions and holdings; the British Empire.First known use 17th c.
7. countablein pluraluncountableThe British Empire.First known use 19th c.

   The name of 'Britain' […] ought to answer every purpose, or if that be thought too condensed, it may be pluralized into ‘The Britains’.

   1874 July 14, The Times

plural Britains · alternative obsolete Brittain

1. archaichistoricalAn ancient Briton.First known use 15th c.

   The Britains’ struggles with the Scots and Picts [...] led to the Britains asking the Romans for help in constructing a great wall.

   2002, L. C. Lambdin, R. T. Lambdin, Companion to Old and Middle English Literature, page 12

comparative more Britain · superlative most Britain · alternative obsolete Brittain

1. obsoleteBriton; British.First known use 16th–18th c.

   [M]ightie Albion, father of the bold / And warlike people which the Britaine Iſlands hold.

   1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IIII, Canto XI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], part II (books IV–VI), London: […] [Richard Field] for William Ponsonby, →OCLC, page 160