brass
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /bɹɑːs/
ipa: /bɹas/
ipa: /bɹas/
ipa: /bɹæs/
rhymes: -ɑːs
rhymes: -æs
Forms: form: brasses
Etymology: From Middle English bras, bres, from Old English bræs (“brass, bronze”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps representing a backformation from Proto-Germanic *brasnaz (“brazen”), from or related to *brasō (“fire, pyre”). Compare Old Norse and Icelandic bras (“solder”), Icelandic brasa (“to harden in the fire”), Swedish brasa (“a small controlled fire”), Danish brase (“to fry”); French braser ("to solder"; > English braise) from the same Germanic root. Compare also Middle Dutch braspenninc ("a silver coin", literally, "silver-penny"; > Dutch braspenning), Old Frisian bress (“copper”), Middle Low German bras (“metal, ore”).
In the military sense an ellipsis of the brass hats.
Senses: coordinate_terms: bronze#Noun
glosses: A metallic alloy of copper and zinc used in many industrial and plumbing applications.
A memorial or sepulchral tablet usually made of brass or latten: a monumental brass.
coordinate_terms: bronze#Noun
glosses: A metallic alloy of copper and zinc used in many industrial and plumbing applications.
Fittings, utensils, or other items made of brass.
examples: text: A few measures later, the brass comes in strong!
topics: entertainment
lifestyle
music
glosses: A class of wind instruments, usually made of metal (such as brass), that use vibrations of the player's lips to produce sound; a band or the section of an orchestra that features such instruments.
glosses: Spent cartridge casings (usually made of brass): the part of the cartridge left over after bullets or shells have been fired.
glosses: The color of brass.
examples: text: The brass are not going to like this.
text: The brass is not going to like this.
text: I don't want to keep the brass waiting, Chief.
ref: 2004 November 9, Bungie, Halo 2, spoken by Avery Johnson (David Scully), Microsoft Game Studios, Xbox, level/area: The Armory:
topics: government
military
politics
war
qualifier: business or other organizations
glosses: High-ranking officers: the brass hats.
raw_tags: used as a singular or plural noun
examples: text: You've got a lot of brass telling me to do that!
synonyms: bronze#Noun
glosses: A brave or foolhardy attitude; impudence.
glosses: Money.
glosses: Inferior composition.
Derived terms: admiralty brass
alpha brass
antique brass
beta brass
bold as brass
bow-legged wi' brass
brass ankle
Brass Ankles
brass-balled
brass balls
brass band
brassboard
brassbound
brass ceiling
brass choir
brass-collar Democrat
brassed off
brassen
brass farthing
brassfounder
brassfounding
brass hat
brassie
brass in pocket
brass instrument
brass instrumentalist
brassish
brass it out
brass-knuckled
brass knuckles
brass leaf
brasslike
brass monkey
brass monkeys
brass nail
brass-neck
brass neck
brass-necked
brass ovaries
brass pounder
brass rat
brass razoo
brass ring
brass rubbing
brass section
brass tacks
brassware
brasswind
brasswork
brassworker
brassworking
brassworks
brassy
calamine brass
coal brass
cold as a witch's tit in a brass bra
cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey
Corinthian brass
double in brass
firebrass
get down to brass tacks
green brass
high brass
horse brass
nonbrass
not have a brass farthing
not worth a brass farthing
part brass rags
police one's brass
red brass
rub one's face with a brass candlestick
top brass
where there's muck there's brass
white brass
with brass knobs on