brass

/bræs/

/brɑs/

Other forms: brasses

Brass is a shiny, gold-colored metal that is an alloy of zinc and copper. You'll see brass everywhere once you start looking: in doorknobs, lamps and light fixtures, zippers, and tools.

Because brass is both workable and strong, it's used in musical instruments (in fact, there's a whole category of instruments known as brass, including saxophones and trumpets). It's also a low-friction metal, so it's preferred for ammunition casings, gears, and locks. And brass is shiny and cheerful, so people like to use it in light fittings, plaques, and sculptures. High-ranking military members are informally known as brass, inspired by the insignia on their uniforms.

Definitions of brass

1. noun

   an alloy of copper and zinc
   types:

   Muntz metal, alpha-beta brass, 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

   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

   high-strength brass, manganese bronze

   a brass with from 1-4% manganese to harden it

   Admiralty Metal, Admiralty brass, Tobin bronze, naval brass

   alpha-beta brass containing tin; resistant to sea water; Admiralty Metal is a trademark

   type of:

   copper-base alloy

   any alloy whose principal component is copper
2. noun

   an ornament or utensil made of brass
   type of:

   decoration, ornament, ornamentation

   something used to beautify
3. noun

   a memorial made of brass
   synonyms: memorial tablet, plaque

   type of:

   memorial, monument

   a structure erected to commemorate persons or events
4. noun

   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
   synonyms: brass instrument

   types:

   baritone, baritone horn

   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, horn, trump, trumpet

   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

   euphonium

   a bass horn (brass wind instrument) that is the tenor of the tuba family

   bombardon, helicon

   a tuba that coils over the shoulder of the musician

   sackbut

   a medieval musical instrument resembling a trombone

   serpent

   an obsolete bass cornet; resembles a snake

   type of:

   wind, wind instrument

   a musical instrument in which the sound is produced by an enclosed column of air that is moved by the breath
5. noun

   the section of a band or orchestra that plays brass instruments
   synonyms: brass section

   types:

   trumpet section

   the section of a band or orchestra that plays trumpets or cornets

   type of:

   section

   a division of an orchestra containing all instruments of the same class
6. noun

   the persons (or committees or departments etc.) who make up a body for the purpose of administering something
   synonyms: administration, establishment, governance, governing body, organisation, organization

   types:

   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

   bench, judiciary

   persons who administer justice

   county council

   the elected governing body of a county

   government officials, officialdom

   people elected or appointed to administer a government

   management

   those in charge of running a business

   Bush administration

   the executive under President George W. Bush

   Clinton administration

   the executive under President Clinton

   Bush administration

   the executive under President George H. W. Bush

   Reagan administration

   the executive under President Reagan

   Carter administration

   the executive under President Carter

   civil service

   the government workforce exclusive of military service

   house

   the management of a gambling house or casino

   bureaucracy, bureaucratism

   nonelective government officials

   type of:

   body

   a group of persons associated by some common tie or occupation and regarded as an entity
7. noun

   impudent aggressiveness
   synonyms: boldness, cheek, face, nerve

   types:

   audaciousness, audacity

   aggressive boldness or unmitigated effrontery

   assumption, effrontery, presumption, presumptuousness

   audacious (even arrogant) behavior that you have no right to

   type of:

   aggressiveness

   the quality of being bold and enterprising