Third-person singular present tense of bruit, or plural noun form; spreads rumors or news.
From Old French 'bruire' + '-s' (third person singular or plural). Maintains the same etymological roots as the base verb.
You'll see this spelling in medical contexts too—a 'bruit' is an abnormal heart sound that doctors listen for, from the same root meaning 'noise,' which is why cardiologists use this archaic word for what they literally hear.
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