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brassest

 - 5 dictionary results

brass

  [bras, brahs]
Use brassest in a Sentence
–noun
1. any of various metal alloys consisting mainly of copper and zinc.
2. a utensil, ornament, or other article made of such an alloy.
3. Music.
a. brass instrument.
b. brass instruments collectively in a band or orchestra.
4. metallic yellow; lemon, amber, or reddish yellow.
5. Informal.
a. high-ranking military officers.
b. any very important officials.
6. Informal. excessive self-assurance; impudence; effrontery.
7. Machinery. a replaceable semicylindrical shell, usually of bronze, used with another such to line a bearing; a half bushing.
8. British. a memorial tablet or plaque, often incised with an effigy, coat of arms, or the like.
9. Furniture. any piece of ornamental or functional hardware, as a drawer pull, made of brass.
10. British Slang. money.
–adjective
11. of, made of, or pertaining to brass.
12. composed for or using musical instruments made of brass.
13. having the color brass.
Origin:
bef. 1000; 1945–50 for def. 5; ME bras, OE bræs; c. OFris bres copper, MLG bras metal

Related forms:
brassish, adjective

Synonyms:
6. cheek, nerve, brashness, gall, chutzpa.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Cultural Dictionary

brass

Musical instruments traditionally made of brass and played by blowing directly into a small, cup-shaped mouthpiece. They include the French horn, trumpet, trombone, and tuba.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary
brass

  1. n.
    high-ranking military or civilian officers. (See also top brass.) : We'll see what the brass has to say first.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Word Origin & History

brass 
O.E. bræs, originally an alloy of copper and tin (now bronze), in modern use an alloy of two parts copper, one part zinc. A mystery word, with no known cognates beyond Eng. Perhaps akin to Fr. brasser "to brew," since it is an alloy. It also has been compared to O.Sw. brasa "fire," but no sure connection can be made. The meaning "effrontery, impudence" is from 1624. Slang sense of "high officials" is first recorded 1899. Brassy "debased yet pretentious" is from 1586; in the sense of "strident and artificial" it is from 1865. The brass tacks that you get down to (1897) are probably the ones used to measure cloth on the counter of a dry goods store, suggesting precision.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Science Dictionary
brass   (brās)  Pronunciation Key 
A yellowish alloy of copper and zinc, usually 67 percent copper and 33 percent zinc. It sometimes includes small amounts of other metals. Brass is strong, ductile, and resistant to many forms of corrosion.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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