braille

Everyday

A system of raised dots that blind and partly sighted people read by touching them with their fingers. Each letter is a pattern of up to six dots. tree →

In the lessons

In lessons on disability, history and communication pupils learn that Louis Braille, a blind French boy, invented it in the 1820s. In everyday life braille appears on lift buttons, medicine boxes and signs. Phrases: "in braille", "read braille", "braille signs".

Examples

• My aunt reads books in braille. tree →
• The lift buttons have braille on them. tree →
• Louis Braille invented braille when he was a teenager. tree →
• Each braille letter is made of up to six raised dots. tree →
• We wrote our names in braille using glue dots. tree →
• The medicine box has the name in braille. tree →

Note

Often written with a capital B because it is named after Louis Braille, but lower case "braille" is also common. Uncountable: "some braille", "in braille". Braille is not a language; it is a way of writing many languages.