brass

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   A metallic alloy of copper and zinc used in many industrial and plumbing applications.

2. 2

   A class of wind instruments, usually made of metal (such as brass), that use vibrations…

   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!
3. 3

   Spent cartridge casings (usually made of brass)

   Spent cartridge casings (usually made of brass): the part of the cartridge left over after bullets or shells have been fired.

4. ›+ 14 more definitionsshow fewer

   1. 4

      The color of brass (etymology 1, noun sense 1).

   2. 5

      High-ranking officers

      High-ranking officers: the brass hats.

      • The brass are not going to like this.
      • The brass is not going to like this.
      • I don't want to keep the brass waiting, Chief.
   3. 6

      A brave or foolhardy attitude

      A brave or foolhardy attitude; impudence.

      • You've got a lot of brass telling me to do that!
   4. 7

      Money.

   5. 8

      Inferior composition.

   6. 9

      Made of brass, of or pertaining to brass.

   7. 10

      Of the color of brass.

   8. 11

      Impertinent, bold

      Impertinent, bold: brazen.

      • At the Council board, I hope to charge him with that he cannot answer, and yet I know his face is brass enough.
      • [...] he continued in the same insulting strain. "If you were not quite brass, you would know it is not proper to be making promises you dare not tell of."
      • It was a show of very large and very brass cojones, [...]
   9. 12

      Bad, annoying

      Bad, annoying; as wordplay applied especially to brass instruments.

      • Grindoff, the miller, 'and the leader of a very brass band of most unpopular performers, with a thorough base accompaniment of at least fifty vices,' was played by Miss Saunders.
      • I must confess that to me there is something almost pathetic in the sight of a body of bluejackets improving their muscles on the quarter deck by bar-bell exercise, accompanied by a brass — a very brass — band, [...]
      • Mr. REGINALD SMITH, KC, the publisher, followed, but he had hardly begun his very interesting remarks when a procession headed by a very brass band entered Smithfield from the west, and approached the platform.
   10. 13

       Of inferior composition.

       • As Honest Plush Brannon then, Mr. Beery is one of San Francisco's fancier con men and hence more brass than plush
   11. 14

       To coat with brass.

   12. 15

       A prostitute.

       • Richard didn't want the man on the corner to go up and fuck one of the brasses.
   13. 16

       Brass monkey

       Brass monkey; cold.

   14. 17

       Synonym of brace, a traditional unit of measure equivalent to a fathom (6 feet) or about…

       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.

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