Best friends, brothers, peers, family.
Historically; used in a familial sense. Plural form of brothers. Generally used in a sociological, religious, or cultural sense.
Has acquired a cultural meaning with the integration of African roots and history into other countries, especially in a Black Zionist context.
Originating from "brethren". The word has been associated with sects of, mainly Protestant,
Christianity (for example; the Plymouth Brethren) but has taken on a wider and more-encompassing meaning when adopted as part of the Patois lexicon.