ETYM Italian and Late Lat. breve, from Latin brevis short. Related to Brief.
A diacritical mark (u-curved) placed over a vowel to indicate a short sound.
Mark over letter to indicate a short vowel sound.

The shortest note of 13th-century music. Since the subsequent addition of many other shorter notes, it is now the longest, equal in duration to eight crotchets. It is rarely used and is notated by an unfilled white note-head (often in the shape of a square) with two vertical lines attached to its left and right side.

Papal letter; brief; mark indicating a short vowel; Music. note equivalent of two semibreves.