A plant (as a rose, blackberry, or greenbrier) having a usually woody and thorny or prickly stem; also; a mass or twig of these.
A tobacco pipe made from the root or stem of a European heath (Erica arborea)
A pipe made from the root (briarroot) of the tree heath; SYN. briar pipe.

ETYM Old Eng. brere, brer, AS. bręr, braer; cf. Irish briar prickle, thorn, brier, pin, Gael. preas bush, brier, W. prys, prysg.
1. A thorny stem or twig.
2. Tangled mass of prickly plants; SYN. brierpatch, bier patch.