1. adjective /bɹiːf/
a) Of short duration; happening quickly.
On the beach he always wore a straw hat with a red band and a brief pair of leopard print trunks.
b) Concise; taking few words.
See Also: brevity
2. noun /bɹiːf/
a) An attorneys legal argument in written form for submission to a court.
A survey of their follie, a briefe of their barbarisme.
3. verb /bɹiːf/
a) To knowledgeably summarize a recent development to some person with decision-making power.
The U.S. president was briefed on the military coup and its implications on African stability.
b) To write a legal argument and submit it to a court.
Wikipedia foundation.