E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.
Brunt.
To bear the brunt. To bear the stress, the heat, and collision. The same word as “burn.” (Icelandic, bruni, burning heat, bren; Anglo-Saxon, brenning, burning.) The “brunt of a battle” is the hottest part of the fight. (Compare “fire-brand.”)
