bracket

[brak-it]

noun

1. a support, as of metal or wood, projecting from a wall or the like to hold or bear the weight of a shelf, part of a cornice, etc.

2. a shelf or shelves so supported.

3. a square bracket or a curly bracket.

4. Mathematics.

   1. brackets, parentheses of various forms indicating that the enclosed quantity is to be treated as a unit.

   2. (loosely) vinculum.

   3. Informal.,  an expression or formula between a pair of brackets.

5. a grouping of people based on the amount of their income.

   the low-income bracket.

6. a class; grouping; classification.

   She travels in a different social bracket.

7. Sports.,  a diagram that tracks the process of elimination among sequentially paired opponents in a tournament.

8. Architecture.

   1. any horizontally projecting support for an overhanging weight, as a corbel, cantilever, or console.

   2. any of a series of fancifully shaped false consoles beneath an ornamental cornice.

9. (on a staircase) an ornamental piece filling the angle between a riser and its tread.

10. Shipbuilding.

    1. a flat plate, usually triangular with a flange on one edge, used to unite and reinforce the junction between two flat members or surfaces meeting at an angle.

    2. any member for reinforcing the angle between two members or surfaces.

11. a projecting fixture for gas or electricity.

12. Gunnery.,  range or elevation producing both shorts and overs on a target.

verb (used with object)

1. to furnish with or support by a bracket or brackets.

2. to place within brackets; couple with a brace.

3. to associate, mention, or class together.

   Gossip columnists often bracket them together, so a wedding may be imminent.

4. Gunnery.,  to place (shots) both beyond and short of a target.

5. Photography.,  to take (additional shots) at exposure levels above and below the estimated correct exposure.

bracket

/ ˈbrækɪt /

noun

1. an L-shaped or other support fixed to a wall to hold a shelf, etc

2. one or more wall shelves carried on brackets

3. architect a support projecting from the side of a wall or other structure See also corbel ancon console 2

4. Also called: square bracket. either of a pair of characters, [ ], used to enclose a section of writing or printing to separate it from the main text

5. a general name for parenthesis square bracket brace

6. a group or category falling within or between certain defined limits

   the lower income bracket

7. the distance between two preliminary shots of artillery fire in range-finding

8. a skating figure consisting of two arcs meeting at a point, tracing the shape ⋎

verb

1. to fix or support by means of a bracket or brackets

2. to put (written or printed matter) in brackets, esp as being irrelevant, spurious, or bearing a separate relationship of some kind to the rest of the text

3. to couple or join (two lines of text, etc) with a brace

4. (often foll by with) to group or class together

   to bracket Marx with the philosophers

5. to adjust (artillery fire) until the target is hit

Other Word Forms

• unbracketed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of bracket¹

First recorded in 1570–80; earlier brag(g)et, from Middle French braguette “codpiece,” diminutive of Old Provençal braga “breeches” ( brogue ² ( def. ) )

Word History and Origins

Origin of bracket¹

C16: from Old French braguette codpiece, diminutive of bragues breeches, from Old Provençal braga , from Latin brāca breeches

Example Sentences

When two teams are paired, they are placed in opposite halves of the knockout bracket and cannot meet each other until the final.

Read more on BBC

That means coordinating flows of income, withdrawals, Roth IRA conversions, charitable giving, capital gains, and equity compensation so that your income lands in the optimal tax bracket over time.

Read more on Barron's

Think of it this way: If you’re in the 37% income tax bracket, you will no longer get a tax benefit valued at 37 cents on each gifted dollar.

Read more on Barron's

By taking a large taxable distribution from your IRA, you might also push yourselves into a higher tax bracket.

Read more on MarketWatch

One challenge with a Roth conversion is the prospect of getting pushed to a higher tax bracket as the money switches over.

Read more on MarketWatch

Related Words

• category