brass
 brass/brɑːs $ bræs/ noun
[Language : Old English; Origin : bræs]
1. METAL [UNCOUNTABLE]a very hard bright yellow metal that is a mixture of copper and zinc:
▪ an old brass bedstead
2. MUSIC
a) [UNCOUNTABLE]
musical instruments that are made of metal, such as the trumpet and the trombone:
▪ brass instruments ⇨ percussion, stringed instrument, wind instrument, woodwind
b) the brass (section) the people in an orchestra or band who play musical instruments that are made of metal
3. DECORATIONS [COUNTABLE USUALLY PLURAL]an object made of brass, usually with a design cut into it, or several brass objects
4. get down to brass tacks
informal to start talking about the most important facts or details of something
5. PEOPLE WITH TOP JOBS the brass American English informal people who hold the most important positions SYN top brass British English
6. it’s brass monkeys/brass monkey weather
British English spoken informal used to say that it is very cold
7. MONEY [UNCOUNTABLE] British English old-fashioned informal money
⇨ as bold as brass at bold(2)
noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a brass band (=a band of brass instruments such as trumpets and trombones)
▪ A brass band was playing in the park.
a brass instrument
▪ The tuba is the deepest of the brass instruments.
brass band
brass knuckles
brass rubbing
▪ a brass rubbing
instrumental/string/brass etc ensemble
top brass
▪ The top brass are coming in from Washington to see how we do things here.
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
 ADJECTIVE
big
▪ There was the big brass bed with its snowy white sheets, its marshmallow pillows and top-cover of fringed ivory lace.
▪ They were tough-looking Feldgendarmen, military policemen, with big brass plaques on their chests.
▪ When the shrine was full, Kalchu began to pull the cord of the big brass bell hanging above his head.
▪ Nobody answered and, after a few minutes, Doug tried the big brass handle.
bold
▪ Suddenly, up came Miss Stark, bold as brass and dressed in gold foil.
▪ She marched into his big library as bold as brass, and stood in front of his favourite chair.
large
▪ The charming honeymoon suite has its own gallery and a large double Victorian brass bed.
▪ Anthony's oak coffin had a large brass crucifix on the lid.
▪ It was fitted with large brass sharks and starfish, and was open on two sides.
▪ I glimpsed a large brass bed, more ikons, photographs.
old
▪ Ashley got more excited over his new bit of stainless steel than Les did with his old brass.
▪ On the counter itself was a bell, the old brass kind on which one banged a button.
polished
▪ She checked the number on the polished brass wall-plaque and knew she had arrived.
▪ The gin palaces are out, polished brass, blaring radios and peaked hats, and they don't care.
▪ But while the upper edges of the thickening cloud were bright as polished brass, underneath they were a sullen purple.
▪ Again the patina is a deep black and contrasts with brightly polished silver, brass and gold inlay decoration.
▪ As well as a beautiful polished brass fire it has central heating, a shower and a flush toilet.
▪ Her hair gleamed like a hastily polished brass pot, its tiny dents reddish brown.
▪ The sun was beating down on rows of glittering white yachts, flashing on aluminium masts and highly polished brass and chrome.
small
▪ A small brass above a doorbell bore the words: Kristof Laszlo, Photographer.
▪ Every available surface was crowded with small brass souvenirs.
solid
▪ Crafted from hand-forged steel and solid brass, the range covers every style.
▪ Shamrock cup and saucer by Beleek Bestlite 31170 solid brass lamp base with dark green enamelled shade.
▪ The chair, with its folding leg rest, is made of teak and has solid brass fittings.
▪ Made from red cedar, it is double glazed throughout and all opening window fittings are in solid brass.
▪ The zipper and snaps are solid brass.
▪ The prime materials used are solid hardwoods and solid brass.
▪ Holdback finished in white with solid brass leaf highlights, £32.95 per pair; also in brass finish.
top
▪ More recently, this was made into a luxury hotel for the top brass of the Communist world.
▪ I thought it was military to allow the top brass at home a more direct control.
▪ Have you told the top brass yet?
▪ Would this be because she had something to hide, he wondered, or was she inhibited by her clerical top brass.
▪ It was now necessary to give Klepner visibility in front of Cocello and the top brass.
▪ The only way you kept the top brass in line, reminded them who was the boss.
▪ He saw the top brass one after the other and noted down his reactions and observations.
NOUN
band
▪ In high season the village brass band plays regular concerts and there are waterski displays most weeks.
▪ Musical families from all over the borough formed the brass band.
▪ Once a week there is also a brass band concert.
▪ A handsome yet sylvan prospect where you could promenade to the music of brass bands.
▪ Free activities: The brass band gives regular concerts, there are guided walks and even occasional windsurfing regattas!
▪ It was flag bedecked and in front of it a brass band were parading in breeches, green-Loden jackets and cocked hats.
▪ Finding it caused quite a stir in the brass band world.
bed
▪ There was the big brass bed with its snowy white sheets, its marshmallow pillows and top-cover of fringed ivory lace.
▪ There was a shiny brass bed for Melanie with a round-bellied white chamber pot underneath it.
▪ The charming honeymoon suite has its own gallery and a large double Victorian brass bed.
▪ I glimpsed a large brass bed, more ikons, photographs.
bedstead
▪ You glance over the thick tubes that make up the emperor-size brass bedstead, and smile.
fitting
▪ All the other brass fittings, supplied by Chas.
▪ Copper is not usually a natural component of water and is picked up by contact with copper and brass fittings or pipes.
▪ Copper vessels and brass fittings are rapidly attacked under these conditions.
▪ Leather and brass fittings add a touch of luxury.
▪ The chair, with its folding leg rest, is made of teak and has solid brass fittings.
▪ Beryl sat in the back of the car, her large black handbag with brass fittings balanced on her knees.
handle
▪ She broke the seals, inserted a key, turned it, twisted the brass handle, and opened the heavy door.
▪ Its hanging brass handles were damaged and tarnished, its once polished top ruined by years of misuse.
▪ The bell pull had a brass handle polished lovingly to lustre.
▪ Nobody answered and, after a few minutes, Doug tried the big brass handle.
horse
▪ This metal will be of particular interest to readers as early horse brasses were cut from it.
▪ Laughter rattled the horse brasses and echoed in the warming pans.
▪ Even the horse brasses, hung beside the fire, pub trinkets, reassure me.
▪ There were copper kettles and warming pans and horse brasses.
instrument
▪ Vibrato, like all flavouring, needs very fastidious use on brass instruments.
▪ It boomed as if the whole house was a resonating chamber for the brass instrument on the door.
▪ Concertos for brass instruments have helped to develop and increase their technical resources.
▪ Percussion Like brass instruments, percussion is best used sparingly and occasionally.
monkey
▪ Why doesn't it have a mark on it for absolute brass monkeys?
plaque
▪ A simple brass plaque spelt out Brook Advisory Clinic.
▪ They were tough-looking Feldgendarmen, military policemen, with big brass plaques on their chests.
▪ The double plinth features a brass plaque commemorating the 1990 Restoration Project.
plate
▪ I idly noted that a brass plate declared that this bit of garden furniture was sacred to some one's memory.
▪ It had only a very small, hardly noticeable brass plate outside which gave nothing away.
▪ Breeze saw the brass plate from afar, and hurried up the path.
▪ This morning Betty - my cleaner - came in bursting with the news that there was a brass plate outside.
▪ It was only by chance, returning on the other side, that she saw its brass plate.
▪ The light from the oil-lamp shone on the brass plate.
▪ Interestingly the original bank brass plate was discovered in 1983 during drainage excavations in Henley.
rubbing
▪ He began to make a collection of brass rubbings.
▪ The old dining-room is now a brass rubbing centre and the drawing-room is used for meetings and lectures.
VERB
make
▪ To make brass containing more zinc than this required access to zinc metal.
▪ Wherever he needed metal, he installed parts made of brass.
▪ Compression fittings are made in both brass and gunmetal.
▪ In the early engines, many of the parts, including the cylinder, were made of brass.
▪ He began to make a collection of brass rubbings.
▪ The bed and bedhead are from the same era and are made of brass.
▪ You glance over the thick tubes that make up the emperor-size brass bedstead, and smile.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
brass/rhythm/woodwind/string etc section
▪ A brass section blares on trumpet, tenor saxophone and bass sax.
▪ It was in Vegas that Sinatra decided to book Norvo as his opening act and as his regular rhythm section.
▪ Now, drummers like Roy Haynes or Elvin Jones could be heard and studied, not buried in big-band rhythm sections.
▪ The rhythm Section became the stars.
▪ The rhythm section provided a perfect cushion for the soloists, springy and supportive but never obtrusive.
▪ The string section repeatedly cut through his fraught baritone with great sheets of emotional counterpoint.
▪ Try I fall in love too easily for the young Marsalis's strong sound gelling with the experience of the rhythm section.
with (brass) knobs on
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪ a brass bed
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ Copper vessels and brass fittings are rapidly attacked under these conditions.
▪ I lifted the brass fender and got to work pulling the crude green tiles away by hand.
▪ It is the heavy brass diamonds upon my window, the security grilles; when did I put them there?
▪ She checked the number on the polished brass wall-plaque and knew she had arrived.
▪ The metal trim on the livery stable was gleaming like molten brass.
▪ The woodwind can only be used for doubling notes which are already present in the brass.
▪ Victorian Bell Pulls were traditionally finished with brass end fittings.
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