(South Africa, transitive) To soften (leather) by twisting, scraping, etc.
L'intérêt d'utiliser un point de référence pour les questions à échelles dans les études d'évaluation monétaire by Raúl Brey & Pere Riera & Pierre-Alexandre Mahieu (2007)
Brey-Casiano](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_A._Brey-Casiano "Carol A.
(South Africa, transitive) To soften (leather) by twisting, scraping, etc.
"brey" means to soften (leather) by twisting, scraping, etc. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
"brey" is informal English meaning to soften (leather) by twisting, scraping, etc. It is part of South African English. A more formal or neutral equivalent would be something like "to soften (leather) by twisting" expressed in standard vocabulary. A common mistake is to assume "brey" can replace its standard equivalent in every register; keep it for spoken or casual situations and use the formal form in writing. If you are a B2 or C1 learner, it is useful to recognise this word when you hear or read it, but think carefully about whether the situation really calls for it before using it yourself.
"brey" means to soften (leather) by twisting, scraping, etc. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
Add your own interpretation of "brey".
Slang from Black American Vernacular English (AAVE), hip-hop, drag and ballroom culture, the Caribbean, and NYC street vocabulary. The single largest source of new mainstream English slang in living memory.
See all Black culture & AAVE slang on Slangora.
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Brey asked Los Andes to try as goalkeeper, being accepted again by the club.
“L'intérêt d'utiliser un point de référence pour les questions à échelles dans les études d'évaluation monétaire by Raúl Brey & Pere Riera & Pierre-Alexandre Mahieu (2007)”
“Brey-Casiano](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_A._Brey-Casiano "Carol A.”
“Brey asked Los Andes to try as goalkeeper, being accepted again by the club.”
(Scotland, intransitive) To lunge forward, to dash ahead, to move recklessly.