brass

[ bras, brahs ]
See synonyms for brass on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. any of various metal alloys consisting mainly of copper and zinc.

  2. a utensil, ornament, or other article made of such an alloy.

  1. Music.

  2. metallic yellow; lemon, amber, or reddish yellow.

  3. Informal.

    • high-ranking military officers.

    • any very important officials.

  4. Informal. excessive self-assurance; impudence; effrontery.

  5. Machinery. a replaceable semicylindrical shell, usually of bronze, used with another such to line a bearing; a half bushing.

  6. British. a memorial tablet or plaque, often incised with an effigy, coat of arms, or the like.

  7. Furniture. any piece of ornamental or functional hardware, as a drawer pull, made of brass.

  8. British Slang. money.

adjective
  1. of, made of, or pertaining to brass.

  2. composed for or using musical instruments made of brass.

  1. having the color brass.

Origin of brass

1
before 1000; 1945–50 for def. 5; Middle English bras,Old English bræs; cognate with Old Frisian bres copper, Middle Low German bras metal

Other words for brass

Other words from brass

  • brassish, adjective

Words Nearby brass

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use brass in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for brass

brass

/ (brɑːs) /


noun
  1. an alloy of copper and zinc containing more than 50 per cent of copper. Alpha brass (containing less than 35 per cent of zinc) is used for most engineering materials requiring forging, pressing, etc Alpha-beta brass (35–45 per cent zinc) is used for hot working and extrusion. Beta brass (45–50 per cent zinc) is used for castings. Small amounts of other metals, such as lead or tin, may be added: Compare bronze (def. 1)

  2. an object, ornament, or utensil made of brass

    • the large family of wind instruments including the trumpet, trombone, French horn, etc, each consisting of a brass tube blown directly by means of a cup- or funnel-shaped mouthpiece

    • (sometimes functioning as plural) instruments of this family forming a section in an orchestra

    • (as modifier): a brass ensemble

  1. a renewable sleeve or bored semicylindrical shell made of brass or bronze, used as a liner for a bearing

  2. (functioning as plural) informal important or high-ranking officials, esp military officers: the top brass See also brass hat

  3. Northern English dialect money: where there's muck, there's brass!

  4. British an engraved brass memorial tablet or plaque, set in the wall or floor of a church

  5. informal bold self-confidence; cheek; nerve: he had the brass to ask for more time

  6. slang a prostitute

  7. (modifier) of, consisting of, or relating to brass or brass instruments: a brass ornament; a brass band

Origin of brass

1
Old English bræs; related to Old Frisian bres copper, Middle Low German bras metal

Other words from brass

  • Related adjective: brazen

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for brass

brass

[ brăs ]


  1. A yellowish alloy of copper and zinc, usually 67 percent copper and 33 percent zinc. It sometimes includes small amounts of other metals. Brass is strong, ductile, and resistant to many forms of corrosion.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for brass

brass

Musical instruments traditionally made of brass and played by blowing directly into a small, cup-shaped mouthpiece. They include the French horn, trumpet, trombone, and tuba.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Other Idioms and Phrases with brass

brass

In addition to the idioms beginning with brass

  • brass hat
  • brass ring

also see:

  • bold as brass
  • double in brass
  • get down to brass tacks

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.