instruments made of metal, such as trumpets or French horns, that form a band or section of an orchestra; the people who play them (        )

^ ir , 1$ ir 5k 3£ £1:      music for piano, strings and

brass mW,        —compare

PERCUSSION, STRING fl.(6), WOODWIND, WIND INSTRU­MENT — picture o page R8

►                 FOR A HORSE 3 [C] (BrE) a decorated piece of brass

used as a decorative object, especially a round flat piece attached to a horse’s harness       ( Jtfm-j

)

►                 IN CHURCH 4 [C] (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 M #>] £2 & ffl

(I±®£'JW

mm)

►                 IMPORTANT PEOPLE IA5 [U+sing./pl. v.) (especially NAmE) = TOP BRASS

►                 MONEY 6 [U] (old-fashioned, BrE, informal) money $5

— see also brassy 1171771 ,brass monkeys | .brass 'monkey weather {BrE, slang) if you say that it is brass monkeys or brass monkey weather, you mean that it is very cold weather ^ X H ; X '{% .brass neck/' nerve {BrE, informal) a combination of confi­dence and lack of respect g I didn’t

think she would have the brass neck to do that.

WL 7 'k AS X $ X Jfe X lift 7 HP ft ♦ o the .brass 'ring {NAmE, informal) the opportunity to be successful; success that you have worked hard to get J&Til #li§; $ Sfe&fjl; (  ) &#]: The girls’ outdoor track

team has grabbed the brass ring seven times. X X "M.

ESM2I From the custom of giving a free ride to any child who grabbed one of the rings hanging around the side of a merry-go-round at a fairground.          S7K«fi SgX^!7«

o (get

down to) brass 'tacks {informal) (to start to consider) the basic facts or practical details of sth (   )

— more at bold, muck n.

.brass 'band noun [C+sing./pl. v.] a group of musicians who play brass instruments HHIfAklX

.brassed 'off adj. {BrE, slang) annoyed tSf(ft; KiW H771 FED UP

bras-serie /'braesari; NAmE .braesa'ri:/ noun a type of restaurant, often one in a French style that is not very expensive ( fiMfr ) #tt

brassica /'braesika/ noun a plant of a type that includes

CABBAGE, RAPE and MUSTARD        ift

)

brassiere /'braezi0(r); NAmE bra'zir/ noun {formal)

= BRA

.brass 'knuckles noun [pi.] {NAmE) = knuckleduster

'brass rubbing noun [u, C] the art of rubbing a soft pencil or chalk on a piece of paper placed over a brass in a church; the pattern you get by doing this

brassy /'brcusi; A/A/nf 'braesi/ adj. 1 (sometimes disap­proving) (of music If 5k) loud and unpleasant X ^ $!] M- W ; Bfi 1^ £K) ; nf 2 {informal, disapproving) (of a woman XX) dressing in a way that makes her sexual attraction obvious, but without style XU (tfj:        the

brassy blonde behind the bar yiPE® n X§|5 3 like brass(I) in colour; too yellow and bright M 4 {NAmE, informal) saying what you think, without caring about other people 11 |Sc7 ^       ;

ft

brat /braet/ noun {informal, disapproving) a person, espe­cially a child, who behaves badly     ( X

a spoiled/spoilt brat H$gfF7

the 'brat pack noun [usually sing.] a group of famous young people, especially film/movie actors, who some­times behave badly if S#? (

bra vado /bra'vaidau; A/Amf -dou/ noun [U] a confident way of behaving that is intended to impress people, sometimes as a way of hiding a lack of confidence i§ §5; ii$lk ( X Bt )      ^: an act of sheer bravado