a yellow alloy of copper and zinc: [as modifier]:a brass plate on the door
a decorative object made of brass:shining brasses stood on the mantelpiece
a memorial, typically medieval, consisting of a flat piece of inscribed brass, laid in the floor or set into the wall of a church.
a brass block or die used for stamping a design on a book binding.
British informal money:they wanted to spend their newly acquired brass
Music brass wind instruments (including trumpet, horn, trombone) forming a band or a section of an orchestra:the brass and percussion were consistently too loud
(also top brass) informal people in authority or of high military rank.
informal a person’s hardness or effrontery:he was the only one who had the brass to show his face
Phrases
the brass ring
informal a prize or goal that someone strives for:Willa went for the brass ring, joining the firm at a whopping salary
[with reference to the reward of a free ride given on a merry-go-round to the person hooking a brass ring suspended over the horses]
