brackets

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of bracket.

   The editor enclosed every clarification in square brackets.

   Heavy shelving requires sturdy brackets anchored into the studs.

   Note

   A plural whose meaning shifts across the Atlantic when it names punctuation. In British usage, brackets on their own are the round marks ( and ), and the square kind needs an adjective. In American usage, brackets alone are the square marks [ and ], and the round ones have their own technical name. Saying round or square brackets is clear to both. On a wall, brackets are simply the supports under a shelf.

2. 2
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present indicative of bracket.

   The style guide brackets all editorial insertions for clarity.

   Her analysis brackets the uncertain values rather than discarding them.

   Note

   The -s form of the verb is spelled exactly like the plural noun, so only the sentence tells them apart. Its figurative uses are worth keeping distinct. Someone who brackets two thinkers places them in one category. Someone who brackets a question sets it aside and ignores it for now. A range that brackets a value bounds it on both sides, as a pair of brackets encloses a phrase.

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