The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Brief \Brief\ (br[=e]f), n. [See Brief, a., and cf. Breve.]
   1. A short concise writing or letter; a statement in few
      words.
      [1913 Webster]

            Bear this sealed brief,
            With winged hastle, to the lord marshal. --Shak.
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            And she told me
            In a sweet, verbal brief.             --Shak.
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   2. An epitome.
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            Each woman is a brief of womankind.   --Overbury.
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   3. (Law) An abridgment or concise statement of a client's
      case, made out for the instruction of counsel in a trial
      at law. This word is applied also to a statement of the
      heads or points of a law argument.
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            It was not without some reference to it that I
            perused many a brief.                 --Sir J.
                                                  Stephen.
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   Note: In England, the brief is prepared by the attorney; in
         the United States, counsel generally make up their own
         briefs.
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   4. (Law) A writ; a breve. See Breve, n., 2.
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   5. (Scots Law) A writ issuing from the chancery, directed to
      any judge ordinary, commanding and authorizing that judge
      to call a jury to inquire into the case, and upon their
      verdict to pronounce sentence.
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   6. A letter patent, from proper authority, authorizing a
      collection or charitable contribution of money in
      churches, for any public or private purpose. [Eng.]
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   7. pl. a type of men's underpants without legs, fitting
      tightly and held by an elastic waistband; also called
      Jockey shorts.
      [PJC]

   Apostolical brief, a letter of the pope written on fine
      parchment in modern characters, subscribed by the
      secretary of briefs, dated "a die Nativitatis," i. e.,
      "from the day of the Nativity," and sealed with the ring
      of the fisherman. It differs from a bull, in its
      parchment, written character, date, and seal. See Bull.


   Brief of title, an abstract or abridgment of all the deeds
      and other papers constituting the chain of title to any
      real estate.

   In brief, in a few words; in short; briefly. "Open the
      matter in brief." --Shak.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Abstract \Ab"stract`\, n. [See Abstract, a.]
   1. That which comprises or concentrates in itself the
      essential qualities of a larger thing or of several
      things. Specifically: A summary or an epitome, as of a
      treatise or book, or of a statement; a brief.
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            An abstract of every treatise he had read. --Watts.
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            Man, the abstract
            Of all perfection, which the workmanship
            Of Heaven hath modeled.               --Ford.
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   2. A state of separation from other things; as, to consider a
      subject in the abstract, or apart from other associated
      things.
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   3. An abstract term.
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            The concretes "father" and "son" have, or might
            have, the abstracts "paternity" and "filiety." --J.
                                                  S. Mill.
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   4. (Med.) A powdered solid extract of a vegetable substance
      mixed with lactose in such proportion that one part of the
      abstract represents two parts of the original substance.
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   Abstract of title (Law), a document which provides a
      summary of the history of ownership of a parcel of real
      estate, including the conveyances and mortgages; also
      called brief of title.
      [1913 Webster + PJC]

   Syn: Abridgment; compendium; epitome; synopsis. See
        Abridgment.
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Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):

BRIEF OF TITLE, practice, conveyancing. An abridgment of all the patents,
deeds, indentures, agreements, records, and papers relating to certain real
estate.
     2. In making a brief of title, the practitioner should be careful to
place every deed and other paper in chronological order. The date of each
deed; the names of the parties; the consideration; the description of the
property; should be particularly, noticed, and all covenants should also be
particularly inserted.
     3. A vendor of an interest in realty ought to have his title
investigated, abstracted, and evidence in proof of it ready to be produced
and established before he sells; for if he sell with a confused title, or
without being ready to produce deeds and vouchers, he must be at the expense
of clearing it. 1 Chit. Pr. 304, 463.