bracketing

1. 1
   noununcountable

   The act of putting brackets around words, numbers, or other text.

   Like drawing a box around some words to set them apart from the rest.

   Careful bracketing makes it clear which words are extra.

   The editor's bracketing of the side note kept the main sentence clean.

2. 2
   verb

   Present participle of bracket. Use this -ing form when the action is happening now.

   She is bracketing the optional words in the sentence right now.

   Bracketing the side comments keeps the main text easy to read.

   Note
3. 3
   noununcountable

   A group of support pieces, called brackets, used together on a building.

   Like a row of small angled supports that hold up the edge of a roof.

   The old porch had fancy wooden bracketing under its roof.

   Builders added bracketing along the edge of the balcony for extra support.

   Note
4. 4
   noununcountable

   A way of showing how the parts of a sentence fit together by putting brackets around them.

   Like drawing boxes inside boxes to show which parts go together.

   Bracketing shows which words in the sentence belong together.

   The teacher used bracketing to mark each part of the phrase.

   Note

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