brɑ:s n. & adj. --n. 1 a
yellow alloy of copper
and zinc. 2 a an
ornament or
other decorated
piece of brass. b brass objects collectively. 3 Mus. brass wind instruments (including
trumpet,
horn, trombone) forming a
band or a
section of an
orchestra. 4
Brit. sl.
money. 5 (in full horse-brass) a
round flat brass ornament
for the harness of a draught-horse. 6 (in full top brass) colloq. persons in
authority or of
high (esp. military) rank. 7 an inscribed or engraved
memorial tablet of brass. 8 colloq.
effrontery (then
had the brass to
demand money). 9 a brass
block or die used for
making a
design on a
book binding. --adj.
made of brass. øbrass band a
group of musicians playing brass instruments,
sometimes also with percussion. brassed
off sl.
fed up. brass
hat Brit. colloq. an
officer of high rank, usu.
one with
gold braid on the
cap. brass
monkey coarse sl. used in
various phrases to
indicate extreme cold. brass-rubbing 1 the
rubbing of
heelball etc.
over paper laid on an engraved brass to
take an
impression of
its design. 2 the impression obtained by
this. brass tacks sl.
actual details; real
business (get down to brass tacks).
not a brass
farthing colloq. no money or assets at
all. [OE brós, of unkn. orig.]
