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Noun: brass  brãs
  1. An alloy of copper and zinc
     
  2. A wind instrument that consists of a brass tube (usually of variable length) that is blown by means of a cup-shaped or funnel-shaped mouthpiece
    - brass instrument
     
  3. The persons (or committees or departments etc.) who make up a body for the purpose of administering something
    - administration, governance, governing body, establishment, organization, organisation [Brit], admin [informal]
     
  4. Impudent aggressiveness
    "Only one bloke has had the sheer brass neck to man a light-switch for an hour and call it art";
    - boldness, nerve, face, cheek, brass neck [Brit, informal]
     
  5. An ornament or utensil made of brass
     
  6. The section of a band or orchestra that plays brass instruments
    - brass section
     
  7. A memorial made of brass
    - memorial tablet
     
  8. [Brit, informal] The most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
    - money, coin [US, informal], boodle [informal], bread [informal], cabbage [US, informal], clams [US, informal], dinero [N. Amer, informal], dough [informal], gelt [informal], kale [US, informal], lettuce [US, informal], lolly [Brit, informal], lucre [informal], loot [informal], moolah [N. Amer, informal], pelf [archaic, informal], scratch [informal], shekels [informal], simoleons [US, informal], sugar [informal], wampum [N. Amer, informal], moola [N. Amer, informal], wonga [Brit, informal], dibs [archaic, informal], mazuma [US, informal], dosh [Brit, informal]

Derived forms: brasses

Type of: aggressiveness, body, breath, copper-base alloy, decoration, medium of exchange, memorial, monetary system, monument, ornament, ornamentation, section, wind, wind instrument

Part of: authorities, government, money supply, regime

Encyclopedia: Brass, Paul