a town of France, in the department of Haute Loire, capital of an arrondissement of the same name, is situated on the left bank of the Allier, 30 miles N.W. of Puy. The town is ill built, but has a fine old Gothic church, a college, public library, &c. At Old Brioude, about 3 miles S.S.E., are the remains of a bridge over the Allier, which consisted of a single arch 88 feet high, and 206 feet in span. This fell in 1822; but a new bridge of one arch, 182 feet in span, was built in 1845. Pop. (1851) of town 4655, of arrondissement 83,024.