brass
A metallic alloy of copper and zinc used in many industrial and plumbing applicationsA 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.
» Gold is similar in color to brass.
Gold hat eine ähnliche Farbe wie Kupfer.
Золото похоже по цвету на латунь.
Золото похоже цветом на латунь.
Золото схоже за кольором на латунь.
Meaning
11 sensesA metallic alloy of copper and zinc used in many industrial and plumbing applications.
(countable, uncountable, usually)A memorial or sepulchral tablet usually made of brass or latten: a monumental brass.
Messing
лату́ньlatúnʹ
лату́ньlatúnʹ, мося́жmosjáž
a memorial made of brass
(countable, uncountable, usually)Fittings, utensils, or other items made of brass.
an ornament or utensil made of brass
(uncountable, usually)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.
A few measures later, the brass comes in strong!
Blechblasinstrumente, Blech
ме́дные духовы́е инструме́нтыmédnyje duxovýje instruménty, духово́йduxovój
the section of a band or orchestra that plays brass instruments
(uncountable, usually)Spent cartridge casings (usually made of brass): the part of the cartridge left over after bullets or shells have been fired.
ги́льзаgílʹza
(uncountable, usually)The color of brass (etymology 1, noun sense 1).
Messingfarbe
(metonymically, uncountable, usually)High-ranking officers: the brass hats.
The brass are not going to like this.
The brass is not going to like this.
Generalität
(informal, uncountable, usually)A brave or foolhardy attitude; impudence.
You've got a lot of brass telling me to do that!
(Northern England, dated, slang, uncountable, usually)Money.
(uncountable, usually)Inferior composition.
(countable, slang, usually)A prostitute.
(historical, obsolete)Synonym of brace, a traditional unit of measure equivalent to a fathom (6 feet) or about 1.6 m, especially as the Spanish braza and Portuguese braça, also French brasse.
Examples
54 sentencesGold is similar in color to brass.
Золото схоже за кольором на латунь. — aandrusiak
ruЗолото похоже по цвету на латунь. — shanghainese
deGold hat eine ähnliche Farbe wie Kupfer. — MUIRIEL
The brass band played three marches.
deDas Blasorchester spielte drei Märsche. — samueldora
He belongs to the brass band.
ruОн играет в духовом оркестре. — Hellerick
Tom is in a brass quintet.
The brass band members looked very happy.
Translations
9 languagesBy meaning 1
By meaning 5
By meaning 5
Origin
From Middle English bras, bres, from Old English bræs (“brass, bronze”), of uncertain origFrom 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”) and برنج (branj, “brass”)
By ellipsis from brass nail, in turn from "nail[ing]" (fig.) and "brass blonde" (see "brazen"); and also shortened from Cockney Rhyming slang brass flute for "prostitute".
From Portuguese braça and Spanish braza, from Old Galician-Portuguese and Old Spanish braça, from Latin brachia, variant of bracchium (“arm, cubit”), from Ancient Greek βραχίων (brakhíōn, “upper arm”).
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Forms
plural: brassesSynonyms
16 synonyms- 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
- a memorial made of brass:memorial tabletplaque
- the section of a band or orchestra that plays brass instruments:brass section
- impudent aggressiveness:boldnessnervefacecheek
- the persons (or committees or departments etc.) who make up a body for the purpose of administering something:administrationgovernancegoverning bodyestablishmentorganizationorganisation
Word family
56 related wordsLessons for this word
1 lessons- A1Countable and uncountable nouns — Because it can be uncountable