Bracket definitions

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

BRACK'ET, [Heb. to bend the knee; hence it signifies the knee.]
1. Among workers in timber, an angular wooden stay, in form of the knee bent, to support shelves, scaffolds and the like.
2. The cheek of a mortar carriage, made of strong plank.
3. In printing, hooks; thus, [].

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a category falling within certain defined limits
2: either of two punctuation marks (`<' or `>') used in computer programming and sometimes used to enclose textual material [syn: bracket, angle bracket]
3: either of two punctuation marks ([ or ]) used to enclose textual material [syn: bracket, square bracket]
4: a support projecting from a wall (as to hold a shelf) [syn: bracket, wall bracket] v
1: support with brackets; "bracket bookshelves"
2: place into brackets; "Please bracket this remark" [syn: bracket, bracket out]
3: classify or group

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: perhaps from Middle French braguette codpiece, from diminutive of brague breeches, from Old Occitan braga, from Latin braca, of Celtic origin — more at breech Date: 1580 1. an overhanging member that projects from a structure (as a wall) and is usually designed to support a vertical load or to strengthen an angle 2. a fixture (as for holding a lamp) projecting from a wall or column 3. a. one of a pair of marks [ ] used in writing and printing to enclose matter or in mathematics and logic as signs of aggregation — called also square bracket b. one of the pair of marks < > used to enclose matter — called also angle bracket c. parenthesis 3 d. brace 5b 4. a section of a continuously numbered or graded series (as age ranges or income levels) II. transitive verb Date: circa 1847 1. a. to place within or as if within brackets <editorial comments are bracketed> <news stories bracketed by commercials> b. to eliminate from consideration <bracket off politics> c. to extend around so as to encompass ; include <test pressures…which bracket virtually the entire range of passenger-car tire pressures — Consumer Reports> 2. to furnish or fasten with brackets 3. to put in the same category or group <bracketed in a tie for third> 4. a. to get the range on (a target) by firing over and short <there were mortar rounds bracketing the area — Ed Bradley> b. to establish the limits of <bracketed the problem neatly> c. to take photographs of at more than one exposure in order to ensure that the desired exposure is obtained

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a right-angled or other support attached to and projecting from a vertical surface. 2 a shelf fixed with such a support to a wall. 3 each of a pair of marks () Etymology: {} used to enclose words or figures. 4 a group classified as containing similar elements or falling between given limits (income bracket). 5 Mil. the distance between two artillery shots fired either side of the target to establish range. --v.tr. (bracketed, bracketing) 1 a couple (names etc.) with a brace. b imply a connection or equality between. 2 a enclose in brackets as parenthetic or spurious. b Math. enclose in brackets as having specific relations to what precedes or follows. 3 Mil. establish the range of (a target) by firing two preliminary shots one short of and the other beyond it. Etymology: F braguette or Sp. bragueta codpiece, dimin. of F brague f. Prov. braga f. L braca, pl. bracae breeches

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Bracket Brack"et, n. (Gunnery) A figure determined by firing a projectile beyond a target and another short of it, as a basis for ascertaining the proper elevation of the piece; -- only used in the phrase, to establish a bracket. After the bracket is established shots are fired with intermediate elevations until the exact range is obtained. In the United States navy it is called fork.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Bracket Brack"et, v. t. (Gunnery) To shoot so as to establish a bracket for (an object).

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Bracket Brack"et, n. [Cf.OF. braguette codpiece, F. brayette, Sp. bragueta, also a projecting mold in architecture; dim. fr.L. bracae breeches; cf. also, OF. bracon beam, prop, support; of unknown origin. Cf. Breeches.] 1. (Arch.) An architectural member, plain or ornamental, projecting from a wall or pier, to support weight falling outside of the same; also, a decorative feature seeming to discharge such an office. Note: This is the more general word. See Brace, Cantalever, Console, Corbel, Strut. 2. (Engin. & Mech.) A piece or combination of pieces, usually triangular in general shape, projecting from, or fastened to, a wall, or other surface, to support heavy bodies or to strengthen angles. 3. (Naut.) A shot, crooked timber, resembling a knee, used as a support. 4. (Mil.) The cheek or side of an ordnance carriage. 5. (Print.) One of two characters [], used to inclose a reference, explanation, or note, or a part to be excluded from a sentence, to indicate an interpolation, to rectify a mistake, or to supply an omission, and for certain other purposes; -- called also crotchet. 6. A gas fixture or lamp holder projecting from the face of a wall, column, or the like. Bracket light, a gas fixture or a lamp attached to a wall, column, etc.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Bracket Brack"et, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bracketed; p. pr. & vb. n. Bracketing] To place within brackets; to connect by brackets; to furnish with brackets.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(brackets, bracketing, bracketed) 1. If you say that someone or something is in a particular bracket, you mean that they come within a particular range, for example a range of incomes, ages, or prices. ...a 33% top tax rate on everyone in these high-income brackets... Do you fall outside that age bracket? N-COUNT: usu n N 2. Brackets are pieces of metal, wood, or plastic that are fastened to a wall in order to support something such as a shelf. Fix the beam with the brackets and screws. ...adjustable wall brackets. N-COUNT 3. If two or more people or things are bracketed together, they are considered to be similar or related in some way. The Magi, Bramins, and Druids were bracketed together as men of wisdom... Austrian wine styles are often bracketed with those of northern Germany. = categorize VERB: pl-n be V-ed together, be V-ed with n 4. Brackets are a pair of written marks that you place round a word, expression, or sentence in order to indicate that you are giving extra information. In British English, curved marks like these are also called brackets, but in American English, they are called parentheses. The prices in brackets are special rates for the under 18s... = parenthesis N-COUNT: usu pl, oft in N 5. Brackets are pair of marks that are placed around a series of symbols in a mathematical expression to indicate that those symbols function as one item within the expression. N-COUNT: usu pl

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