brass

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Related to brasses: horse brasses

brass

(brăs)

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. often brasses Music

a. The section of a band or an orchestra composed of brass instruments.

b. Brass instruments or their players considered as a group.

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.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

brass

(brɑːs)

1. (Metallurgy) 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 bronze¹

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

3. (Instruments)

a. 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

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

c. (as modifier): a brass ensemble.

4. (Mechanical Engineering) a renewable sleeve or bored semicylindrical shell made of brass or bronze, used as a liner for a bearing

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

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

7. (Ecclesiastical Terms) Brit an engraved brass memorial tablet or plaque, set in the wall or floor of a church

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

9. (Professions) slang a prostitute

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

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

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

brass

(bræs, brɑs)

n.

1. any of various metal alloys consisting mainly of copper and zinc.

a. an ornament, utensil, piece of hardware, or other article made of brass.

b. such articles collectively.

a. brass instrument.

b. Often, brasses. the brass instruments of a band or orchestra.

a. high-ranking military officers.

b. any high officials.

5. excessive self-assurance; impudence.

6. a semicylindrical shell, usu. of bronze, used to line a bearing.

7. a brass memorial tablet.

adj.

8. of, made of, or pertaining to brass.

9. having the color brass.

[before 1000; Middle English bras, Old English bræs; c. Old Frisian bres copper, Middle Low German bras metal]

brass

(brăs)

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 characterized by being strong and ductile, and by being resistant to many forms of corrosion.

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	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 brass instrument 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" governance, governing body, organisation, administration, establishment, organization 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" boldness, nerve, cheek, face 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.	brass - the section of a band or orchestra that plays brass instruments brass section 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.	brass - a memorial made of brass memorial tablet, plaque monument, memorial - a structure erected to commemorate persons or events

brass

noun

1. Informal. The state or quality of being impudent or arrogantly self-confident:

Informal: crust, sauce, uppishness, uppityness.

2. Chiefly British. Something, such as coins or printed bills, used as a medium of exchange:

cash, currency, lucre, money.

Informal: wampum.

Slang: bread, cabbage, dough, gelt, green, jack, lettuce, long green, mazuma, moola, scratch.

Translations

آلات نفخ نحاسيهنحاس أصفرنُحاس أَصْفَر

mosazmosaznýplechové hudební nástroježestěžesťový

messingmessingblæser

Messing BlechblasinstrumentBlechblasinstrumente

μπρούντζος ορείχαλκος

latuno

latón metalmetales (music)

messinki

laiton cuivres douille galonnés cuivre

mjedmjeden

rézfúvósoksárgaréz

málmblásturshljóîfærimessing, látún

ottone ottoni pezzi grossi soldi targa d'ottone

真鍮

황동

eiti prie reikaloįžūlumasmetaliniai pučiamieji instrumentaipučiamųjų orkestrasžalvarinis

metāla pūšamie instrumentimisiņa-misiņš

brons bronzen koper lef

messing messingblåseinstrument blåseinstrument

mosiądz mosiężny łuska

latão prostituta dinheiro

латунь латунный

plechové hudobné nástrojez mosadze

medenina

mässing

ทองเหลือง

pirinç

đồng

黄铜铜管乐器

brass

[brɑːs]

A. N

1. (= metal) → latón m
see also bold

2. (= plate) → placa f conmemorativa (Rel) → plancha f sepulcral (de latón)
to clean the brasses → pulir los bronces

3. the brass

3.1. (Mus) → los metales

3.2. (Mil) → los jefazos
see also top E

4. (Brit) (= money) → pasta f

5. (= impudence) → cara f
he had the brass to ask me for it → tuvo la cara de pedírmelo

B. ADJ (= made of brass) → (hecho) de latón
not to be worth a brass farthing → no valer un ardite
it's cold enough to freeze a brass monkey; it's brass monkey weather (Brit) → ¡hace un frío que pela!
to get down to brass tacks → ir al grano

C. CPD brass band N → banda f de metal
brass hat N (Mil) → jefazo/a m/f
brass knuckles NPL (US) → nudilleras fpl
brass neck N → cara(dura) f, valor m
brass rubbing N (= art, object) → calco m de plancha sepulcral (de latón)
the brass section N (Mus) → los metales

brass off VT + ADV → fastidiar

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

brass

[ˈbrɑːs]

(= metal) → cuivre m (jaune), laiton m

(MUSIC) the brass (= instruments, players) → les cuivres

adj (= made of brass) → en cuivre (jaune), en laiton

modif (MUSIC) the brass section → les cuivresbrass band n → fanfare fbrassed off [ˈbrɑːst ˈbræst] adj
to be brassed off with sth (= fed up with) → en avoir ras le bol de qch
to get brassed off → en avoir ras le bol

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

brass

→ Messing nt

the brass (Mus) → die Blechbläser pl, → das Blech (inf)

(= thing made of brass) (= plaque) → Messingtafel f → or -schild nt; (in church: on tomb) → Grabplatte f → aus Messing; (no pl: = brass articles) → Messing nt; to do or clean the brass(es) → das Messing putzen

(inf) the top brass → die hohen Tiere (inf)

(inf, = impudence) → Frechheit f

(inf: = money) → Kohle f (inf)

adj (= made of brass) → Messing-, messingen (rare); (Mus) → Blech-; brass instrument → Blechblasinstrument nt; brass player → Blechbläser m; brass section → Blech (→ bläser pl) nt

brass

brass farthing

n he hasn’t got a brass (Brit inf) → er besitzt keinen Cent; not to get a brass (Brit inf) → keinen Cent bekommen; it doesn’t matter a brass (Brit inf) → es ist völlig egal

brass foundry

n → Messinggießerei f

brass hat

n (Brit Mil sl) → hohes Tier (inf)

brass

brass knuckles

pl (inf) → Schlagring m

brass monkey

n it’s cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass (Brit hum sl) → es ist arschkalt (sl); real brass weather, eh? (Brit hum inf) → arschkalt, was? (sl)

brass neck

n to have a brass → Nerven haben (inf)

brass plaque, brass plate

n → Messingschild nt; (in church) → Messinggedenktafel f

brass rubbing

n (= activity) → Durchpausen or -zeichnen nt (des Bildes auf einer Messinggrabtafel); (= result) → Pauszeichnung f (des Bildes auf einer Messinggrabtafel)

brass tacks

pl to get down to brass (inf) → zur Sache kommen

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

brass

[brɑːs]

1. n

a. → ottone m
the brass (Mus) → gli ottoni

b. (fam) to have the brass (neck) to do sth → avere la faccia tosta di fare qc
the top brass (Mil) → i pezzi grossi dell'esercito

2. adj (ornament) → d'ottone

brass

(braːs) noun

1. an alloy of copper and zinc. This plate is made of brass; (also adjective) a brass door-knocker.

2. wind musical instruments which are made of brass or other metal.

ˈbrassy adjective

brass band

a band of players of (mainly) brass wind instruments.

brass neck

shameless cheek or impudence. After breaking off the engagement she had the brass neck to keep the ring.

get down to brass tacks

to deal with basic principles or matters. Let's stop arguing about nothing and get down to brass tacks.

brass

→ نُحاس أَصْفَر mosaz messing Messing μπρούντζος latón messinki laiton mjed ottone 真鍮 황동 koper messing mosiądz latão латунь mässing ทองเหลือง pirinç đồng 黄铜

References in periodicals archive ?

Horse brasses are the traditional decoration on draft horse harnesses, hanging from the top of the headstall, on the horse's forehead.

Decorative horse brasses

I thought the ornaments were a lot more interesting and unusual, after I got bored with horse brasses.

THE MONDAY SUPPLEMENT: FAMILY: WHY I LOVE MY...: TAKING A SHINE TO ORNAMENTS

Whiting, CANMET/Materials Technology Laboratory, discussed their AFS research to determine the effect of bismuth (Bi) and selenium (Se) additions on the mechanical properties of leaded brasses (C83600 and C84400).