brass
/brɑːs/noun
mass noun
1- a yellow alloy of copper and zinc黄铜（一种铜锌合金）：
as modifier brass plate on the door.黄铜门牌。
1.1
- count noun a decorative object made of such an alloy黄铜饰品：
shining brasses stood on the mantelpiece.
放置在壁炉架上的闪亮的黄铜饰品。
1.2
- （亦作horse brass）[count noun] a round flat brass ornament for the harness of a draught horse黄铜马饰。
1.3
- count noun Brit.a memorial, typically a medieval one, consisting of a flat piece of inscribed brass, laid on the floor to set into the wall of a church〈英〉（教堂内放在地上或镶在墙上刻有铭文的）黄铜纪念碑。
1.4
- count noun a brass block or die used for stamping a design on a book binding（用于书籍封面设计等的）铜版。
1.5
- Brit. informal money〈英, 非正式〉钱：
they wanted to spend their newly acquired brass.
他们想花掉刚得来的钱。
1.6
- Music brass wind instruments (including trumpet, horn, and trombone) forming a band or a section of an orchestra【乐】铜管乐器：
the brass and percussion were consistently too loud.
铜管乐器和打击乐器始终太响。
1.7
- （亦作top brass）informal people in authority or of high military rank〈非正式〉高级官员; 高级军官。
1.8
- informal an extended metaphorical use referring to a person's hardness or effrontery〈非正式〉冷漠; 厚颜无耻：
I didn't think that his mother would have the brass neck to come round here.
我想他母亲不可能厚着脸皮到这里来。
短语
brassed off
- Brit. informal exasperated〈英, 非正式〉厌烦的; 恼怒的; 满腹牢骚的。
a brass farthing
- with negative informal no money or assets at all〈非正式〉无钱; 无财产：
she hasn't got two brass farthings to rub together.
她一无所有。
get down to brass tacks
- informal start to consider the basic facts or practical details〈非正式〉考虑实质性问题。
the brass ring
- N. Amer. informal success, typically as regarded as a reward for ambition or hard work〈北美, 非正式〉成功的机遇; 发财的机会。
- ORIGIN: 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.
where there's muck there's brass
- 见MUCK.
词源
Old English bræs, of unknown origin.