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Brainstorm
Definitions
- 1 A sudden thought, particularly one that solves a long-standing problem. US
"I had been working on the problem for weeks, and then I had a brainstorm and saw that the solution was easy."
- 2 the clear (and often sudden) understanding of a complex situation wordnet
- 3 A session of brainstorming, investigating a problem to try to find solutions.
- 4 An unexpected mental error. British
"2005 October 5, "Iguchi hit ruins Red Sox's night", BBC Online, 5 October A terrible fielding error from Tony Graffanino proved costly. … Aaron Rowand collected an RBI double to get them off the mark before Graffanino's brainstorm. Juan Uribe hit a roller to the second baseman, who let the potential inning-ending double-play ball roll under his glove, leaving runners at first and third bases."
- 5 Alternative form of brain storm (“activity in the brain, such as a seizure or convulsion”). alt-of, alternative
"electrical brainstorm"
- 1 To investigate something, or solve a problem using brainstorming. intransitive
"Meanwihle at Winterfell, another overdone scheme designed mainly to surprise the audience. In the black of her chambers, Sansa brainstorms with Littlefinger what Arya could want. “After she murders you, what does she become?” he asks. To which Sansa does everything but gasp and spit-take, widening her eyes and saying like she’s just realizing it for the first time, “Lady of Winterfell.”"
- 2 try to solve a problem by thinking intensely about it wordnet
- 3 To participate in a brainstorming session. intransitive
- 4 To think up (ideas); especially, to do so creatively. transitive
"I need you to brainstorm some suggestions for next week's activity schedule."
Etymology
From brain + storm. In the sense of "problem-solve", devised as a method of group creative problem-solving by advertising executive Alex F. Osborn and his employees, who coined the term based on the image of using "the brain to storm a problem". First use appears c. 1945. In the sense of "seizure, convulsion, brain activity", from the unrelated idea that it resembles a storm in the brain. First use appears c. 1861.
From brain + storm. In the sense of "problem-solve", devised as a method of group creative problem-solving by advertising executive Alex F. Osborn and his employees, who coined the term based on the image of using "the brain to storm a problem". First use appears c. 1945. In the sense of "seizure, convulsion, brain activity", from the unrelated idea that it resembles a storm in the brain. First use appears c. 1861.
See also for "brainstorm"
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