brass

plural brasses

1. A metallic alloy of copper and zinc used in many industrial and plumbing applications.
   1. countableuncountableusuallyA memorial or sepulchral tablet usually made of brass or latten: a monumental brass.
   2. countableuncountableusuallyFittings, utensils, or other items made of brass.
2. uncountableusuallyentertainmentA class of wind instruments, usually made of metal (such as brass), that use vibrations of the player's lips to produce sound; a band or the section of an orchestra that features such instruments.

   A few measures later, the brass comes in strong!

3. uncountableusuallySpent cartridge casings (usually made of brass): the part of the cartridge left over after bullets or shells have been fired.
4. uncountableusuallyThe color of brass (etymology 1, noun sense 1).
5. metonymicallyuncountableusuallybusiness or other organizationsgovernmentHigh-ranking officers: the brass hats.

   The brass is not going to like this.

   2 more examples

   The brass are not going to like this.

   I don't want to keep the brass waiting, Chief.

   2004 November 9, Bungie, Halo 2, spoken by Avery Johnson (David Scully), Microsoft Game Studios, Xbox, level/area: The Armory

6. informaluncountableusuallyA brave or foolhardy attitude; impudence.

   You've got a lot of brass telling me to do that!

   Synonyms: bronze

7. Northern EnglanddatedslanguncountableusuallyMoney.
8. uncountableusuallyInferior composition.

comparative more brass · superlative most brass

1. Made of brass, of or pertaining to brass.
2. Of the color of brass.
3. informalImpertinent, bold: brazen.

   It was a show of very large and very brass cojones, [...]

   2011, Paul Christopher, The Templar Conspiracy

   5 more examples

   At the Council board, I hope to charge him with that he cannot answer, and yet I know his face is brass enough.

   1869, John Bruce, editor, Calendar of State Papers, domestic series, of the reign of Charles I, 1637-1638, page 147

   [...] he continued in the same insulting strain. "If you were not quite brass, you would know it is not proper to be making promises you dare not tell of."

   1872, Elsie Leigh Whittlesey, Helen Ethinger: or, Not Exactly Right, page 154

   Maybe (probably so), but it's rare someone is brass enough to post a msg for all to see asking for a software key, that the vast majority have paid for in support of the development effort.

   1996 May 24, 2:00 am, Sherman Simpson, Want license key for AGENT FOR WINDOWS95, alt.usenet.offline-reader.forte-agent

   After cornering the dutch auction, the seller was brass enough to send him the whole lot without one.

   2000 Aug 18, 2:00 am, David Ryan, strangest bid retraction /illegal lottery NOT, rec.collecting.coins

   Try to keep in mind that not all of his converts are brass enough to challenge the benzo pushers in this group, …

   2000 Aug 19, 3:00 am, n4mwd, for RMB, alt.support.anxiety-panic

4. slangBad, annoying; as wordplay applied especially to brass instruments.

   There are soldiers, policemen, priests and friars, as well as a motley mass of women, children, babies and dogs, and upon special occasions a very brass band.

   1937, Blair Niles, A journey in time: Peruvian pageant, page 166

   4 more examples

   Grindoff, the miller, 'and the leader of a very brass band of most unpopular performers, with a thorough base accompaniment of at least fifty vices,' was played by Miss Saunders.

   1888, Mr. & Mrs. Bancroft on and off the stage: written by themselves, volume 1, page 90

   I must confess that to me there is something almost pathetic in the sight of a body of bluejackets improving their muscles on the quarter deck by bar-bell exercise, accompanied by a brass — a very brass — band, [...]

   1900 November 3, “The Training of Seamen”, in The Saturday Review, volume 90, number 2349, page 556

   Mr. REGINALD SMITH, KC, the publisher, followed, but he had hardly begun his very interesting remarks when a procession headed by a very brass band entered Smithfield from the west, and approached the platform.

   1908, The Smith Family, published in Punch, March 4 1908, bound in Punch vol. CXXXIV, page 168

   The padre in my neighborhood — Santa Ana — was having some kind of a fiesta, and had hired a very brass band. This band kept up its martial airs for hours and hours after I got home, with grand finales — or what each time I hoped would be the grand finale, every five minutes.

   1929, Philippine Magazine, volume 6, page 27

5. Of inferior composition.

   As Honest Plush Brannon then, Mr. Beery is one of San Francisco's fancier con men and hence more brass than plush

   1939, The New York times film reviews, volume 3

present singular third person brasses · participle present brassing · participle past brassed · past brassed

1. transitiveTo coat with brass.

plural brasses

1. countableslangusuallyA prostitute.

   Health service glasses, gigolos and brasses, round or skinny bottoms

   1979, Chaz Jankel, Davey Payne & Ian Dury, “Reasons to be Cheerful, Part 3”, in Do It Yourself, performed by Ian Dury and the Blockheads

   1 more example

   Richard didn't want the man on the corner to go up and fuck one of the brasses.

   1996, Will Self, The Sweet Smell of Psychosis, Bloomsbury, published 2011, page 2

1. slangBrass monkey; cold.

plural brasses

1. historicalobsoleteSynonym of brace, a traditional unit of measure equivalent to a fathom (6 feet) or about 1.6 m, especially as the Spanish braza and Portuguese braça, also French brasse.

   Synonyms: brace