Main Entry:

¹brack·et

Pronunciation:

\ˈbra-kət\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

perhaps from Middle French braguette codpiece, from diminutive of brague breeches, from Old Occitan braga, from Latin braca, of Celtic origin — more at breech

Date:

1580

1: an overhanging member that projects from a structure (as a wall) and is usually designed to support a vertical load or to strengthen an angle2: a fixture (as for holding a lamp) projecting from a wall or column3 a: one of a pair of marks [ ] used in writing and printing to enclose matter or in mathematics and logic as signs of aggregation —called also square bracket b: one of the pair of marks < > used to enclose matter —called also angle bracket c: parenthesis 3 d: brace 5b4: a section of a continuously numbered or graded series (as age ranges or income levels)5: a pairing of opponents in an elimination tournament