brass
brass [brass brasses] BrE [brɑːs] NAmE [bræs] noun 
METAL
1. uncountable a bright yellow metal made by mixing ↑copper and ↑zinc; objects made of brass
•solid brass fittings/door handles
•a brass plate (= a sign outside a building giving the name and profession of the person who works there)
•to clean/polish the brass
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
2. uncountable + singular or plural verb the musical instruments made of metal, such as ↑trumpets or ↑French horns, that form a band or section of an ↑orchestra; the people who play them
•music for piano, strings and brass
compare ↑percussion, ↑strings, ↑woodwind, ↑wind instrument
FOR A HORSE
3. countable (BrE)a decorated piece of brass used as a decorative object, especially a round flat piece attached to a horse's ↑harness
IN CHURCH
4. countable (especially BrE)a flat piece of brass with words or a picture on it, fixed to the floor or wall of a church in memory of sb who has died
•a memorial brass
IMPORTANT PEOPLE
5. (especially NAmE) (also BrE informal ˌtop ˈbrass)uncountable + singular or plural verb the people who are in the most important positions in a company, an organization, etc.
MONEY
6. uncountable (old-fashioned, BrE, informal)money
see also ↑brassy
more at bold as brass at ↑bold, where there's muck there's brass at ↑muck n.
Idioms: ↑brass monkey weather ▪ ↑brass monkeys ▪ ↑brass neck ▪ ↑brass ring ▪ ↑brass tacks
See also: ↑top brass
Word Origin:
Old English bræs, of unknown origin.
Example Bank:
•candlesticks made of solid brass
•the brass section of the orchestra
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