# bracket

Pronunciation: say "BRAK-it" /ˈbɹækɪt/

## Noun

1. A support, usually L-shaped, that is fastened to a wall so that a shelf can rest on it.
   - Simple: A support fixed to a wall that holds up a shelf.
   - _He fastened a steel bracket beneath the shelf for extra support._
   - _The shelf collapsed when one bracket pulled free from the plaster._
2. A range of numbers treated as one of several into which a set is divided.
   - Simple: A range of numbers grouped together as one of several divisions.
   - _A small raise can move you into a higher tax bracket._
   - _Households in the lowest income bracket received the rebate first._
3. Any of the characters, such as ( ), [ ], { }, ⟨ ⟩ and < >, used in pairs to enclose parenthetical remarks, parts of mathematical expressions, and similar material.
   - Simple: One of a pair of marks, like ( ) or [ ], put around words or numbers to set them apart.
   - _The program crashed because a single curly bracket near the end of the file was never closed._
   - _The editor put the missing words in square brackets so readers could tell they were not in the original letter._
4. Either of the round marks “(” and “)”, which in British usage the unqualified word denotes, other shapes needing a modifier. *(UK)*
   - Simple: The round mark “(” or “)”, used in pairs to enclose extra words.
   - _She placed the author's initials inside brackets after the quotation._
   - _A stray bracket left the equation looking unbalanced._
5. Either of the square marks “[” and “]”, which American usage names with the plain word, the other shapes carrying their own technical names. *(US)*
   - Simple: A square mark, “[” or “]”, used in pairs to enclose words added to a sentence.
   - _When you insert a clarifying word into a quotation, surround it with brackets._
   - _A single bracket without its partner signals a typo._
6. A diagram of the games in a tournament, showing which teams play whom.
   - Simple: A chart that shows which teams play each other in a tournament.
   - _The tournament bracket pitted the top seed against a qualifier in the first round._
   - _Fans studied the bracket to see whom their team might face next._
7. A filled-out prediction of who wins each game in a tournament, used for betting.
   - Simple: A guess at who will win each game in a tournament, often for betting.
   - _Millions of fans submit a bracket each spring hoping to pick every winner._
   - _A single upset can wreck an otherwise perfect bracket._
11. An intermediate part connecting a smaller component to a larger one, with the smaller component typically projecting sideways.
   - Simple: A part that joins a small piece to a bigger one, with the small piece sticking sideways.
   - _The antenna mounts on a bracket that extends from the mast._
   - _Engineers designed a steel bracket to join the railing to the deck._

## Verb

8. To group together as belonging to the same category.
   - Simple: To group people or things together as being the same kind.
   - _Reviewers tend to bracket her early films with the French New Wave._
   - _It's unfair to bracket every immigrant under a single label._
9. To hold a structure in place using mechanical brackets.
   - Simple: To hold something up using metal or wooden supports fixed to a wall.
   - _Engineers bracket the heavy sign to the building's facade._
   - _The canopy was bracketed to the wall with steel supports._
10. To enclose words within typographical brackets in a text.
   - Simple: To put words inside brackets when you write something.
   - _Editors bracket inserted words to show they were not in the original._
   - _He bracketed the uncertain reading in his transcription._
12. To bound or surround something on both sides, the way brackets enclose text.
   - Simple: To close in on something from both sides, surrounding it.
   - _Mountains bracket the valley to the north and south._
   - _Police vehicles bracketed the convoy front and rear._
13. To deliberately set something aside, discount it, or leave it out of consideration.
   - Simple: To leave something out on purpose and not deal with it for now.
   - _The committee chose to bracket the funding debate until the audit was complete._
   - _She bracketed her personal feelings and judged the proposal on its merits alone._
14. To single something out and mark it distinctly so that it receives special treatment.
   - Simple: To pick something out and mark it so it gets special handling.
   - _Editors bracket sensitive passages so legal counsel can review them before publication._
   - _The auditor bracketed three transactions that needed closer scrutiny._
15. To take multiple photos of the same subject across a range of exposure settings, helping ensure that at least one image comes out well.
   - Simple: To take several photos of the same thing at different brightness settings to get one good shot.
   - _Photographers often bracket exposures in high-contrast scenes._
   - _He bracketed the shot, taking one frame darker and one brighter than the meter suggested._

## Noun

16. A mark cut into a stone by land surveyors to secure a bench, giving the measuring staff a fixed point to rest on. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A mark cut into a stone by surveyors to hold a marker in place.
   - _The old survey relied on a bracket cut into the cornerstone of the church._
   - _Each bracket let the leveling staff rest at exactly the same height on every visit._
17. Alternative form of bragget. Obsolete. *(obsolete)* — Alternative form of bragget (“drink made with ale and honey”).
   - Simple: Alternative form of bragget, a drink made from ale and honey. This old spelling is no longer used.

## Other meanings

- (noun) A pair of values marking the smallest and largest elements of a range.
- (noun) The small curved or angular corner formed where a serif joins the main stroke of a letter.
- (verb) To gauge a target's range by firing equally short and long of it, then narrowing the aim between the two to achieve a very accurate hit.
- (noun) The zone enclosed by one short and one long shot impact, which a stationary weapon is expected to strike very accurately.
- (noun) A short crooked timber, shaped like a knee, used as a support.
- (noun) The cheek or side of an ordnance carriage, supporting the trunnions on which the barrel rests.
- (verb) To set aside metaphysical theories and questions about what is real, in order to focus philosophical attention solely on the actual content of experience.

## Origin

"Bracket" derives from an earlier form "bragget," from Middle English "braket," and from Old French "braguette" (the opening in the front of breeches), a diminutive of "brague" (britches). This traces back through Old Occitan "braga" to Latin "brāca" (pants), and ultimately to Proto-Germanic words meaning leggings or trousers.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/bracket (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).