brass

play

noun \ ˈbras \

Updated on: 11 Sep 2017

Definition of brass

1 :an alloy consisting essentially of copper and zinc in variable proportions

2 a :the brass instruments of an orchestra or band —often used in plural

b :a usually brass memorial tablet

c :bright metal fittings, utensils, or ornaments

d :empty cartridge shells

3 :brazen self-assurance :gall

4 singular or plural in construction

a :high-ranking members of the military

b :persons in high positions (as in a business or the government)

See brass defined for English-language learners

See brass defined for kids

Examples of brass in a Sentence

a candlestick made of brass
The whole orchestra—the strings, percussion, woodwinds, and brass—began to play.
The brasses began to play.
polishing the brass and the silver

Recent Examples of brass from the Web

The topic took center stage at the weekend’s gathering of central banking’s top brass in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

— jeanna smialek, Bloomberg.com, "Free Trade’s Promise of Prosperity Comes With a Big Caveat," 29 Aug. 2017
Plus, black and gold seems to be the golden arches's new aesthetic, because the chain also created a one-of-a-kind brass-and-real-gold replica of its classic wafer cones for a lucky winner of a lifetime supply of McDonald's ice cream.

— melissa minton, Teen Vogue, "McDonald's Unveils a Couture Burger Box by Julien Macdonald," 24 Aug. 2017
Miscellaneous accessories include extra timpani heads (in case in-flight air pressure wreaks havoc on them) and Plexiglass shields to protect woodwind players’ ears from the brass instruments behind them.

— janelle gelfand, Cincinnati.com, "Packing up to go on the road with the CSO," 17 Aug. 2017
There might be speeches from Navy brass, and the display of family photos, and if all goes according to plan, some music.

— john wilkens, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Three Americans, one plane: Seeking closure for a WWII disappearance," 13 Aug. 2017
What's the best way to clean drill bits? Chris T., Carmel, Indiana Twist bits are easy to clean with a small brass wire brush.

— roy berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, "What's the Best Way to Clean Drill Bits?," 5 Aug. 2017
Percy does it with brass bands and gets his rewards on the spot.

— jacqui shine, Longreads, "Percy Ross Wants to Give You Money!," 20 July 2017
Details reflect the chef, extending to the cypress bar’s brass joinery, glasses with thread-thin stems, and the occasional dish served in a Meiji-era bowl.

— garrett snyder, Los Angeles Magazine, "The Los Angeles Magazine Hot Restaurant List for July 2017," 18 July 2017
Chief Steve Conrad and other top brass attempted to quiet the longtime officer, the suit alleges, in violation of the state's whistleblower law.

— matthew glowicki, The Courier-Journal, "Whistleblower suit: Ousted Louisville Metro Police major demoted as retaliation," 19 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'brass.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of brass

Middle English bras, from Old English bræs; akin to Middle Low German bras metal

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

brass Synonyms

Synonyms

audaciousness, audacity, brashness, effrontery, brassiness, brazenness, cheek, cheekiness, chutzpah (also chutzpa or hutzpah or hutzpa), crust, face, gall, nerve, nerviness, pertness, presumption, presumptuousness, sauce, sauciness, temerity

Near Antonyms

bashfulness, diffidence, faintheartedness, hesitancy, modesty, shyness, timidity, timidness, timorousness; civility, courteousness, courtesy, gentility, graciousness, mannerliness, manners

brass

adjective

Definition of brass

1 :made of brass

a brass cannon

— see also brass ring, brass tacks

2 :made up of or composed for brass musical instruments

the band's brass section

— see also brass band

First Known Use of brass

15th century

BRASS Defined for Kids

brass

play

noun \ ˈbras \

Definition of brass for Students

1 :an alloy made by combining copper and zinc

2 :the musical instruments of an orchestra or band that are usually made of brass and include the cornets, trumpets, trombones, French horns, and tubas