brass knuckles

noun

a band of metal with four holes that fits over the upper fingers and that is gripped when a fist is made, used for increasing the effect of a blow with the fist.

Brassknuckles: Cheap www.nextag.com/ Best Value for Brassknuckles! Everyone Wants to Pay a Low Price.

Origin:
1850–55, Americanism

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source

Link To brass knuckles

00:10

00:09

00:08

00:07

00:06

00:05

00:04

00:03

00:02

00:01

Brass knuckles is always a great word to know.

So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:

a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.

a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.

LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

WordNet

brass knuckles
noun
a small metal weapon; worn over the knuckles on the back of the hand [syn: brass knucks]

Word Dynamo Rating For Brass knuckles

People who can define Brass knuckles may know 45,520 words, as many as a 12th grader.

How many words do you know?

Remove ads like these. Upgrade now!

Matching Quote

"What does headquarters think these guys came over here for, a sewing circle? They go up playing for keeps. Cops and robbers with rocks in the snowballs. Brass knuckles and lead pipes and a roughneck conviction they can lick any man in the world."

-Dalton Trumbo