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# brass

«brass» in Mova's school dictionary: **a shiny yellow metal made by mixing copper and zinc** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (brass, uncountable; the brass = brass instruments); adjective (brass doorknob)

### meaning for a pupil

1) Brass is a shiny yellow metal made by mixing copper and zinc. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brass/#m1)

2) The brass, or brass instruments, are musical instruments like trumpets and trombones that you blow into. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brass/#m2)

3) (UK slang) Money: «Where there's muck, there's brass». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brass/#m3)

4) (informal) The top brass are the most important people in charge, such as senior officers or bosses. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brass/#m4)

5) (informal) Brass, or brass neck, means boldness that is rude: «He had the brass neck to ask for more». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brass/#m5)

### sense in the lessons

In science brass is an example of an alloy, a mix of metals, and it does not rust like iron. In music lessons the brass section is part of the band or orchestra. In everyday life we see brass in door handles, taps, keys and buttons. Phrases: brass band, top brass, get down to brass tacks (talk about the real facts), brass neck, as bold as brass, brassed off (UK: annoyed).

### examples

- The old door had a shiny brass knocker. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brass/#x1)
- My sister plays the trumpet in the school brass band. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brass/#x2)
- Brass is made from copper and zinc. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brass/#x3)
- The top brass came to visit the factory. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brass/#x4)
- Let's get down to brass tacks and decide who does what. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brass/#x5)
- He walked in as bold as brass without knocking. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brass/#x6)
- I'm proper brassed off with this homework. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brass/#x7)
- Grandad says there's good brass in fixing cars. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brass/#x8)
- It was a blue jacket with brass buttons, quite new. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brass/#x9)

### note

Uncountable in the metal sense: «some brass», not «a brass». «Brassed off» and «brass» for money are British and informal. Brass is not gold, even though it looks golden. Do not confuse with «bronze», which is copper and tin.

### In the corpora

- [The saxophone is made of brass but is a woodwind, because it makes its sound with a reed, like a clarinet.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/arts/9-instrument-families-strings-wind-brass-percussion-keys/6/)
- [Brass players buzz their lips into the mouthpiece; blowing without buzzing gives just a hiss.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/arts/9-instrument-families-strings-wind-brass-percussion-keys/8/)
- [Orchestras usually seat the quieter strings at the front and the louder brass and percussion at the back, to balance the sound.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/arts/9-instrument-families-strings-wind-brass-percussion-keys/12/)
- [Brass players buzz their lips into the mouthpiece; the trumpet, trombone, horn and tuba are brass.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/arts/41-olympiad-music-puzzles/9/)
- [The little house has a bright brass plate on the door reading "W.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/7-alice-ch4-part1-the-rabbits-house/10/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «brass» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brass/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.