brass

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• Received-Pronunciation: /bɹɑːs/
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• Multicultural-London-English, also: /bɹas/
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• Northern-England, Scotland: /bɹas/
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• General-American: /bɹæs/
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• rhymes with -ɑːs
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• rhymes with -æs
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• US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• CMU ARPABET: B R AE1 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
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From Middle English bras, bres, from Old English bræs (“brass, bronze”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps representing a backformation from Proto-Germanic *brasnaz (“brazen”), from or related to *brasō (“fire, pyre”). Compare Old Norse and Icelandic bras (“solder”), Icelandic brasa (“to harden in the fire”), Swedish brasa (“a small controlled fire”), Danish brase (“to fry”); French braser ("to solder"; > English braise) from the same Germanic root. Compare also Middle Dutch braspenninc ("a silver coin", literally, "silver-penny"; > Dutch braspenning), Old Frisian bress (“copper”), Middle Low German bras (“metal, ore”). In the military sense an ellipsis of the brass hats.

By ellipsis from brass nail, in turn from "nail[ing]" (fig.) and "brass blonde" (see "brazen"); and also shortened from Cockney Rhyming slang brass flute for "prostitute".

From Portuguese braça and Spanish braza, from Old Galician-Portuguese and Old Spanish braça, from Latin brachia, variant of bracchium (“arm, cubit”), from Ancient Greek βραχίων (brakhíōn, “upper arm”).

236 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Finnish: messinkinen — made of brass, of or pertaining to brass
• Finnish: messinki- — made of brass, of or pertaining to brass
• Italian: d'ottone — made of brass, of or pertaining to brass
• Mongolian: гуулин (guulin) — made of brass, of or pertaining to brass
• Old English: bresen — made of brass, of or pertaining to brass
• Dutch: bronzen — of color of brass
• Finnish: messinginvärinen — of color of brass
• French: couleur de laiton — of color of brass
• Georgian: თითბრისფერი (titbrisperi) — of color of brass
• German: messingfarben — of color of brass
• German: messinggelb — of color of brass
• Mongolian: гуулин (guulin) — of color of brass
• Portuguese: bronze — of color of brass
• Scottish Gaelic: pràiseach — of color of brass
• Serbo-Croatian: mjȅden — of color of brass
• Finnish: koppava — impertinent, bold, brazen
• Italian: dalla faccia di bronzo — impertinent, bold, brazen
• Albanian: tunxh — alloy of copper and zinc
• Arabic: شَبَه (šabah) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Arabic: صُفْر (ṣufr) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Arabic: صُفَّر (ṣuffar) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Armenian: արույր (aruyr) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Old Armenian: արոյր (aroyr) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Azerbaijani: bürünc — alloy of copper and zinc
• Bashkir: еҙ (yeź) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Basque: letoi — alloy of copper and zinc
• Belarusian: лату́нь (latúnʹ) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Bengali: পিতল (pitol) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Bulgarian: ме́синг (mésing) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Bulgarian: пиринч (pirinč) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Burmese: ကြေးဝါ (kre:wa) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Catalan: llautó — alloy of copper and zinc
• Chakma: 𑄛𑄨𑄘𑄮𑄣𑄴 (pidol) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Cherokee: ᏣᏱ (tsayi) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Chinese Mandarin: 黃銅 /黄铜 (huángtóng) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Crimean Tatar: cez — alloy of copper and zinc
• Czech: mosaz — alloy of copper and zinc
• Danish: messing — alloy of copper and zinc
• Dutch: messing — alloy of copper and zinc
• Dutch: geelkoper — alloy of copper and zinc
• Esperanto: latuno — alloy of copper and zinc
• Estonian: messing — alloy of copper and zinc
• Faroese: messing — alloy of copper and zinc
• Finnish: messinki — alloy of copper and zinc
• French: laiton — alloy of copper and zinc
• Galician: latón — alloy of copper and zinc
• Galician: azofar — alloy of copper and zinc
• Georgian: თითბერი (titberi) — alloy of copper and zinc
• German: Messing — alloy of copper and zinc
• Greek: ορείχαλκος (oreíchalkos) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Hebrew: פְּלִיז (pliz) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Hindi: पीतल (pītal) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Hungarian: sárgaréz — alloy of copper and zinc
• Hungarian: messing — alloy of copper and zinc
• Icelandic: látún — alloy of copper and zinc
• Irish: prás — alloy of copper and zinc
• Italian: ottone — alloy of copper and zinc
• Japanese: 黄銅 (ōdō) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Japanese: 真鍮 (shinchū) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Kazakh: жез (jez) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Khmer: ទង់ដែង (tŭəng daeng) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Korean: 황동 (hwangdong) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Korean: 놋쇠 (notsoe) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Kyrgyz: латунь (latun) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Lao: ທອງເຫລືອງ (thǭng lư̄ang) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Lao: ທອງຫ້າວ (thǭng hāo) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Lao: ຄ້ວງ (khūang) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Latin: aurichalcum — alloy of copper and zinc
• Latin: orichalcum — alloy of copper and zinc
• Latvian: misiņš — alloy of copper and zinc
• Lithuanian: žálvaris — alloy of copper and zinc
• Macedonian: месинг (mesing) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Malay: loyang — alloy of copper and zinc
• Malay: kuningan — alloy of copper and zinc
• Malay: tembaga kuning — alloy of copper and zinc
• Malayalam: പിച്ചള (piccaḷa) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Maltese: ram — alloy of copper and zinc
• Manx: prash — alloy of copper and zinc
• Māori: parāhi — alloy of copper and zinc
• Māori: kuratea — alloy of copper and zinc
• Mongolian: гууль (guulʹ) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Khiamniungan Naga: tàushûa — alloy of copper and zinc
• Navajo: béésh łitsoii — alloy of copper and zinc
• Norman: jaûne tchuivre — alloy of copper and zinc
• Norman: pâlîn — alloy of copper and zinc
• Norwegian Bokmål: messing — alloy of copper and zinc
• Norwegian Nynorsk: messing — alloy of copper and zinc
• Occitan: laton — alloy of copper and zinc
• Old English: ār — alloy of copper and zinc
• Old Tupi: itaîubaíba — alloy of copper and zinc
• Persian: برنج (berenj) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Plautdietsch: Messinkj — alloy of copper and zinc
• Polish: mosiądz — alloy of copper and zinc
• Portuguese: latão — alloy of copper and zinc
• Romanian: alamă — alloy of copper and zinc
• Russian: лату́нь (latúnʹ) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Sanskrit: आर (āra) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Scottish Gaelic: pràis — alloy of copper and zinc
• Serbo-Croatian: мед — alloy of copper and zinc
• Serbo-Croatian: мјед — alloy of copper and zinc
• Serbo-Croatian: месинг — alloy of copper and zinc
• Serbo-Croatian: med — alloy of copper and zinc
• Serbo-Croatian: mjed — alloy of copper and zinc
• Serbo-Croatian: mesing — alloy of copper and zinc
• Sicilian: attuni — alloy of copper and zinc
• Sicilian: lattuni — alloy of copper and zinc
• Slovak: mosadz — alloy of copper and zinc
• Slovene: med — alloy of copper and zinc
• Spanish: latón — alloy of copper and zinc
• Spanish: azófar — alloy of copper and zinc
• Spanish: alatón — alloy of copper and zinc
• Swedish: mässing — alloy of copper and zinc
• Tajik: биринҷ (birinj) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Tajik: латун (latun) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Telugu: ఇత్తడి (ittaḍi) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Thai: ทองเหลือง (tɔɔng-lʉ̌ʉang) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Tibetan: རག (rag) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Turkish: pirinç — alloy of copper and zinc
• Turkmen: bürünç — alloy of copper and zinc
• Ukrainian: лату́нь (latúnʹ) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Ukrainian: мося́ж (mosjáž) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Unami: wisaw-ahsën — alloy of copper and zinc
• Urdu: پیتل (pītal) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Uzbek: jez — alloy of copper and zinc
• Uzbek: latun — alloy of copper and zinc
• Vietnamese: đồng thau — alloy of copper and zinc
• Volapük: läten — alloy of copper and zinc
• Yiddish: מעש (mesh) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Zazaki: rız (diq) — alloy of copper and zinc
• Zazaki: berence — alloy of copper and zinc
• Bashkir: еҙ (yeź) — made of brass (attributive use)
• Bulgarian: месингов (mesingov) — made of brass (attributive use)
• Bulgarian: пиринчен (pirinčen) — made of brass (attributive use)
• Bulgarian: меден (meden) — made of brass (attributive use)
• Czech: mosazný — made of brass (attributive use)
• Dutch: messing — made of brass (attributive use)
• Dutch: geelkoperen — made of brass (attributive use)
• Esperanto: latuna — made of brass (attributive use)
• French: en laiton — made of brass (attributive use)
• German: messingen — made of brass (attributive use)
• German: aus Messing — made of brass (attributive use)
• Hungarian: sárgaréz — made of brass (attributive use)
• Latin: orichalcus — made of brass (attributive use)
• Latin: aurichalcus — made of brass (attributive use)
• Mongolian: гуулин (guulin) — made of brass (attributive use)
• Persian: برنجی (berenji) — made of brass (attributive use)
• Polish: mosiężny — made of brass (attributive use)
• Portuguese: de latão — made of brass (attributive use)
• Russian: лату́нный (latúnnyj) — made of brass (attributive use)
• Scottish Gaelic: pràiseach — made of brass (attributive use)
• Serbo-Croatian: месинган — made of brass (attributive use)
• Serbo-Croatian: меден — made of brass (attributive use)
• Serbo-Croatian: мједен — made of brass (attributive use)
• Serbo-Croatian: mesingan — made of brass (attributive use)
• Serbo-Croatian: meden — made of brass (attributive use)
• Serbo-Croatian: mjeden — made of brass (attributive use)
• Unami: wisaw-ahsëni — made of brass (attributive use)
• Armenian: փող (pʻoġ) — class of wind instruments
• Bulgarian: духови инструменти (duhovi instrumenti) — class of wind instruments
• Catalan: metall — class of wind instruments
• Chinese Mandarin: 銅管 /铜管 (tóngguǎn) — class of wind instruments
• Czech: žestě — class of wind instruments
• Dutch: koperblazers — class of wind instruments
• Finnish: vaskipuhaltimet — class of wind instruments
• French: cuivres — class of wind instruments
• German: Blechblasinstrumente — class of wind instruments
• German: Blech — class of wind instruments
• Hungarian: réz- in rézfúvósok — class of wind instruments
• Italian: ottoni — class of wind instruments
• Māori: pūtētere — class of wind instruments
• Mongolian: гуулин хөгжим (guulin xögžim) — class of wind instruments
• Navajo: dilní daabééshígíí — class of wind instruments
• Norman: trompettes — class of wind instruments
• Norwegian Bokmål: messing — class of wind instruments
• Norwegian Bokmål: messinginstrument — class of wind instruments
• Polish: instrument dęty blaszany — class of wind instruments
• Portuguese: metais — class of wind instruments
• Romanian: alămuri — class of wind instruments
• Russian: ме́дные духовы́е инструме́нты (médnyje duxovýje instruménty) — class of wind instruments
• Spanish: cobres — class of wind instruments
• Bulgarian: духов (duhov) — related to brass instruments (attributive use)
• Czech: žesťový — related to brass instruments (attributive use)
• Hungarian: réz- — related to brass instruments (attributive use)
• Mongolian: гуулин хөгжмийн (guulin xögžmiin) — related to brass instruments (attributive use)
• Russian: духово́й (duxovój) — related to brass instruments (attributive use)
• Bulgarian: гилза (gilza) — spent shell casings
• Finnish: hylsy — spent shell casings
• French: douille — spent shell casings
• Galician: castón — spent shell casings
• Galician: gastón — spent shell casings
• Italian: bossolo — spent shell casings
• Mongolian: сумны хонгио (sumny xongio) — spent shell casings
• Polish: łuska — spent shell casings
• Russian: ги́льза (gílʹza) — spent shell casings
• Spanish: casquillo — spent shell casings
• Cherokee: ᏣᏱ-ᎠᏑᏫᏓ (tsayi-asuwida) — color of brass
• Dutch: brons — color of brass
• Georgian: თითბრისფერი (titbrisperi) — color of brass
• German: Messingfarbe — color of brass
• Italian: bronzo — color of brass
• Mongolian: гууль (guulʹ) — color of brass
• Norwegian: messing — color of brass
• Portuguese: bronze — color of brass
• Thai: ทองเหลือง (tɔɔng-lʉ̌ʉang) — color of brass
• Finnish: päällystö — high-ranking military officers
• French: galonnés — high-ranking military officers
• German: Generalität — high-ranking military officers
• Hungarian: fejesek — high-ranking military officers
• Italian: gallonato — high-ranking military officers
• Slovak: papaláši — high-ranking military officers
• Bulgarian: нахалство (nahalstvo) — informal: a brave or foolhardy attitude
• Bulgarian: безсрамие (bezsramie) — informal: a brave or foolhardy attitude
• Dutch: lef — informal: a brave or foolhardy attitude
• Hungarian: pofátlanság — informal: a brave or foolhardy attitude
• Hungarian: szemtelenség — informal: a brave or foolhardy attitude
• Italian: faccia di bronzo — informal: a brave or foolhardy attitude
• Italian: faccia tosta — informal: a brave or foolhardy attitude
• Bulgarian: пари (pari) — slang: money
• Catalan: pasta — slang: money
• Galician: marzupios — slang: money
• Galician: cartexos — slang: money
• Galician: arxén — slang: money
• Hungarian: steksz — slang: money
• Hungarian: dohány — slang: money
• Hungarian: zsozsó — slang: money
• Norwegian: stål — slang: money
• Portuguese: dinheiro — slang: money
• Spanish: plata — slang: money
• Spanish: pasta — slang: money
• Spanish: varo — slang: money
• Swedish: kosing — slang: money
• Hungarian: ribanc — slang: a prostitute
• Hungarian: lotyó — slang: a prostitute
• Portuguese: prostituta — slang: a prostitute
• Finnish: messingöidä — to coat with brass
• Mongolian: гуулиар бүрэх (guuliar bürex) — to coat with brass