Plural of 'brach,' which is an archaic or dialectal term for a female hunting dog or hound.
From Middle English 'brache,' ultimately derived from Old High German 'brachâ,' related to 'bracken' vegetation where dogs would hunt. The term was common in medieval hunting terminology.
Braches were the female hunting dogs of medieval nobility, and their value was sometimes higher than males because they could produce litters of puppies for the hunt.
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