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brass

   Also found in: Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.03 sec.
brass  (brs)
n.
1.
a. A yellowish alloy of copper and zinc, sometimes including small amounts of other metals, but usually 67 percent copper and 33 percent zinc.
b. Ornaments, objects, or utensils made of this alloy.
2. Music
a. The section of a band or an orchestra composed of brass instruments. Often used in the plural.
b. Brass instruments or their players considered as a group. Often used in the plural.
3. A memorial plaque or tablet made of brass, especially one on which an effigy is incised.
4. A bushing or similar lining for a bearing, made from a copper alloy.
5. Informal Bold self-assurance; effrontery.
6. Slang High-ranking military officers or other high officials.
7. Chiefly British Money.

[Middle English bras, from Old English bræs.]

brass adj.

brass
Noun
1. an alloy of copper and zinc
2. an object, ornament, or utensil made of brass
3.
a. the large family of wind instruments including the trumpet, trombone, etc. made of brass
b. instruments of this family forming a section in an orchestra
4. same as top brass
5. N English dialect money
6. Brit an engraved brass memorial tablet in a church
7. Informal bold self-confidence; nerve [Old English bræs]

brass  (brs)
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.

Brass
a student of brasses.
a technique of divination by examining vessels of brass.
one who copies monumental brasses by taking rubbings.

Brass army officers collectively, 1899 [used in phrases top brass or brass hats]; memorial brasses collectively, 1613; musical instrument of a brass band type collectively, 1382; copper coins collectively, 1599; money in general, 1601.
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.brass - an alloy of copper and zinc
atomic number 29, copper, Cu - a ductile malleable reddish-brown corrosion-resistant diamagnetic metallic element; occurs in various minerals but is the only metal that occurs abundantly in large masses; used as an electrical and thermal conductor
alpha-beta brass, Muntz metal, yellow metal - a brass that has more zinc and is stronger than alpha brass; used in making castings and hot-worked products
alpha brass - an alloy of brass and zinc; used mainly for cold working
bearing brass - a brass bushing or a lining for a bearing
cartridge brass - an alloy of copper and zinc (containing about 30% zinc) that is wrought into cartridges or tubing
copper-base alloy - any alloy whose principal component is copper
gilding metal - a brass that is rich in copper; used to make articles that were to be gilded
high brass - brass with 35% zinc
latten - brass (or a yellow alloy resembling brass) that was hammered into thin sheets; formerly used for church utensils
low brass - brass with 30% (or less) zinc
ormolu - brass that looks like gold; used to decorate furniture
guinea gold, red brass - brass with enough copper to give it a reddish tint; used for plumbing pipe and other brass hardware and in cheap jewelry
2.brass - a wind instrument that consists of a brass tube (usually of variable length) that is blown by means of a cup-shaped or funnel-shaped mouthpiece
baritone horn, baritone - the second lowest brass wind instrument
bass horn, sousaphone, tuba - the lowest brass wind instrument
bugle - a brass instrument without valves; used for military calls and fanfares
clarion - a medieval brass instrument with a clear shrill tone
cornet, trumpet, trump, horn - a brass musical instrument with a brilliant tone; has a narrow tube and a flared bell and is played by means of valves
fluegelhorn, flugelhorn - a brass instrument resembling a cornet but with a wider bore
French horn, horn - a brass musical instrument consisting of a conical tube that is coiled into a spiral and played by means of valves
saxhorn - any of a family of brass wind instruments that resemble a bugle with valves
trombone - a brass instrument consisting of a long tube whose length can be varied by a U-shaped slide
valve - device in a brass wind instrument for varying the length of the air column to alter the pitch of a tone
wind instrument, wind - a musical instrument in which the sound is produced by an enclosed column of air that is moved by the breath
3.brass - the persons (or committees or departments etc.) who make up a body for the purpose of administering something; "he claims that the present administration is corrupt"; "the governance of an association is responsible to its members"; "he quickly became recognized as a member of the establishment"
body - a group of persons associated by some common tie or occupation and regarded as an entity; "the whole body filed out of the auditorium"; "the student body"; "administrative body"
authorities, government, regime - the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit; "the government reduced taxes"; "the matter was referred to higher authorities"
Curia - (Roman Catholic Church) the central administration governing the Roman Catholic Church
top brass - the most important persons in a governing body
executive - persons who administer the law
judiciary, bench - persons who administer justice
county council - the elected governing body of a county
government officials, officialdom - people elected or appointed to administer a government
pecking order, power structure, hierarchy - the organization of people at different ranks in an administrative body
management - those in charge of running a business
advisory board, planning board - a board appointed to advise the chief administrator
4.brass - impudent aggressiveness; "I couldn't believe her boldness"; "he had the effrontery to question my honesty"
aggressiveness - the quality of being bold and enterprising
audaciousness, audacity - aggressive boldness or unmitigated effrontery; "he had the audacity to question my decision"
5.brass - an ornament or utensil made of brass
decoration, ornament, ornamentation - something used to beautify
6.brassbrass - the section of a band or orchestra that plays brass instruments
section - a division of an orchestra containing all instruments of the same class
trumpet section - the section of a band or orchestra that plays trumpets or cornets
7.brassbrass - a memorial made of brass
monument, memorial - a structure erected to commemorate persons or events
Translations
Spanish brass [brɑːs] nlatón m;
the brass (MUS) → los cobres

French brass [brɑːs] ncuivre m (jaune), laiton m;
the brass (Mus) → les cuivres

German brass [brɑːs] nMessing nt;
the brass (Mus) → die Blechbläser pl

Italian brass [brɑːs] nottone m;
the brass (MUS) → gli ottoni

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This Brass was an attorney of no very good repute, from Bevis Marks in the city of London; he was a tall, meagre man, with a nose like a wen, a protruding forehead, retreating eyes, and hair of a deep red.
Now the earthenware pot tried its best to keep aloof from the brass one, which cried out: "Fear nothing, friend, I will not strike you.
As may be supposed--continued the pilot--the mountain sides are very rugged, but on the summit stands a brass dome supported on pillars, and bearing on top the figure of a brass horse, with a rider on his back.
 
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