Browpiece

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The band of a horse's bridle that runs across the animal's forehead between the ears and eyes
2. A strap forming part of a horse's headgear that sits on the forehead to help hold the bridle in place
3. The forehead portion of a horse's bridle that prevents the headgear from slipping backward

Etymology: A browpiece is simply a piece that sits over the brow, and the history is that of its two parts. "Brow" comes from Old English "brū", which is related to German "Braue" and Old Norse "brún". "Piece" entered English from Old French "piece", which traces back to Late Latin "pettia", probably of Gaulish origin, and originally meant a fragment or portion of something. Joined together, the compound describes a plain, literal part of an object, such as the front plate of a helmet or the decorative band across a horse's bridle. Its meaning comes straight from its parts, with no later shift to report.