brachy-

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "short."

It forms all or part of: abbreviate; abbreviation; abridge; amphibrach; brace; bracelet; brachio-; brachiopod; brachiosaurus; brachy-; brassiere; breviary; brevity; brief; brumal; brume; embrace; merry; mirth; pretzel; vambrace.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Greek brakhys "short;" Latin brevis "short, low, little, shallow;" Old Church Slavonic bruzeja "shallow places, shoals;" Gothic gamaurgjan "to shorten."

in ethnology, "short-headed," 1847; see brachy- + -cephalic. Denoting skulls at least 80 percent as wide as they are long (considered typical of Mongoloid peoples). Related: Brachycephalous; brachycephalism.