brass band

American  

noun

Music.

1. a band made up principally of brass wind instruments.

---

brass band British  

noun

1. See band 1

---

brass band Cultural  

1. A musical group composed of brass and percussion instruments. Sometimes called marching bands, brass bands often play at athletic events and military exercises and in parades.

---

Etymology

Origin of brass band

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

brass band

A brass band performed in Brooklyn’s Park Slope.

From Salon ● Jun. 17, 2026

A brass band played lively jazz, while a man made giant bubbles with a pair of sticks and clowns sold balloon animals.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026

The audience rose as a brass band began to play upon the arrival of the royal family, who sat in their box in the famous concert hall.

From Barron's ● Nov. 8, 2025

To accompany her flamboyant sermons, she employed a brass band, an orchestra and a 100-person choir.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2025

In the morning the brass band played a mournful dirge.

From "The Martian Chronicles" by Ray Bradbury