brass
/brɑːs/ (bre, ipa) · /bræs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈbras/ (ame, mw)
brass — 名詞
- brasssingular
- brassesplural
1. a hard yellow metal formed by mixing copper with zinc, often used for instrument
黃銅
由銅和鋅混成的黃色金屬
a hard yellow metal formed by mixing copper with zinc, often used for instruments, handles, and other shiny fittings.
The old door still had brass handles that gleamed in the afternoon sun.
那扇老門上仍有在午後陽光下發亮的黃銅把手。
collocation: brass handles
Selim bought a small brass lamp for the reading corner.
Selim 買了一盞小黃銅燈放在閱讀角。
Brass does not rust like iron, so the sign lasted longer.
黃銅不像鐵那樣會生鏽，所以那塊招牌撐得更久。
The factory mixes copper and zinc to produce sheets of brass.
那間工廠把銅和鋅混合，製成一片片黃銅。
文法句型
brass + singular verb
made of brass
sheet/piece of brass
用法筆記
Usually uncountable when you mean the material in general. Use it with a singular verb in statements about the metal itself.
常見錯誤
2. the trumpets, trombones, horns, and similar metal wind instruments in an ensembl
銅管部
樂團中的銅管樂器或演奏者
the trumpets, trombones, horns, and similar metal wind instruments in an ensemble, or the musicians responsible for those parts.
The brass came in after the drums and lifted the whole march.
鼓聲之後銅管部一進來，整首進行曲就更有氣勢了。
collective noun: the brass
Maeve plays with the brass in the city youth orchestra.
Maeve 在城市青年管弦樂團裡跟銅管部一起演奏。
During rehearsal, the brass missed the last note of the fanfare.
排練時，銅管部錯過了那段號角曲的最後一個音。
The conductor asked the brass to play that passage more softly.
指揮要銅管部把那一段吹得更柔和一些。
- brass section
the more explicit term in orchestra and band talk
- brass players
focuses on the musicians rather than the instruments
- strings
the section of bowed instruments in the same ensemble
文法句型
the brass + plural verb
play with the brass
用法筆記
Often treated as a group name in music settings. It can refer to the instruments themselves or to the players as one section.
常見錯誤
3. decorative or useful things made of brass, such as handles, lamps, ornaments, an
銅器
黃銅做的裝飾品或器具
decorative or useful things made of brass, such as handles, lamps, ornaments, and other metal fittings.
The antique shop sold polished brass beside silver bowls and mirrors.
那家古董店把擦亮的銅器擺在銀碗和鏡子旁邊賣。
collocation: polished brass
Nia cleaned all the brass before the hotel guests arrived.
Nia 在飯店客人到達前，把所有銅器都清理乾淨。
The cabin's brass looked bright again after one careful polish.
小木屋裡的銅器經過一次細心擦拭後又亮了起來。
Workers wrapped the brass in paper before moving the old lamps.
工人先用紙包好那些銅器，才搬動舊燈。
文法句型
clean the brass
polished brass
all the brass
用法筆記
This collective sense talks about brass fittings or ornaments together, not about the metal as a raw material. It commonly appears with cleaning or polishing verbs.
4. the senior people who hold the real power in a company, government office, or mi
高層
組織或軍中的高階人士
the senior people who hold the real power in a company, government office, or military group.
The brass approved the merger before the wider staff heard about it.
高層在更多員工聽說之前就批准了那項併購案。
collective noun: the brass
Selim was nervous when the brass arrived for the factory inspection.
Selim 在高層來做工廠視察時緊張得要命。
No one wanted to tell the brass that the project was failing.
沒人想告訴高層，這個計畫其實正在失敗。
At lunch, the brass sat apart from the junior officers.
午餐時，高層和年輕軍官分開坐。
- management
a broader and more neutral word for those running an organization
- leadership
more formal and less slangy than 'the brass'
- top brass
the fixed expression most commonly used for this idea
- rank and file
ordinary members or workers below the leadership level
文法句型
the brass + plural verb
tell the brass that-clause
用法筆記
Usually appears as 'the brass' in an informal tone. It refers to top decision-makers as a group, not to one manager by themself.
常見錯誤
5. a rude kind of boldness that shows no shame, respect, or fear.
厚臉皮
無禮又毫不害怕的膽量
a rude kind of boldness that shows no shame, respect, or fear.
Yan had the brass to laugh after breaking the neighbor's window.
Yan 砸破鄰居窗戶後，竟還厚著臉皮笑了出來。
pattern: have the brass to + verb
Jessica showed real brass when she interrupted the teacher and demanded an apology.
Jessica 打斷老師還要求對方道歉，真是厚臉皮。
The salesman had enough brass to return a used phone for cash.
那個推銷員厚著臉皮，想把用過的手機退成現金。
After lying all week, Christopher still had the brass to complain.
說了一整週的謊後，Christopher 竟還有臉抱怨。
- timidity
lack of confidence or courage
文法句型
have the brass to + verb
show real brass
用法筆記
Commonly appears in patterns like 'have the brass to do something'. It is more critical than simply saying someone is confident.
常見錯誤
6. money, especially when someone is speaking in an old-fashioned or British inform
錢
英式口語中的金錢
money, especially when someone is speaking in an old-fashioned or British informal way.
The café does not have enough brass to replace its broken oven.
那家咖啡館沒有足夠的錢換掉壞掉的烤箱。
informal British: enough brass
Pim saved every bit of brass from summer jobs at the beach.
Pim 把海邊暑期工作賺來的每一筆錢都存了下來。
The cousins borrowed some brass from an uncle to open the food stall.
那對表親向叔叔借了些錢，好開那個食物攤。
Without more brass, the band could not pay for the tour bus.
沒有更多錢，樂團就付不起巡演巴士的費用。
文法句型
have enough brass
borrow some brass
more brass
用法筆記
This sense is chiefly British and noticeably informal. It sounds old-fashioned in many modern contexts, so neutral 'money' is safer for everyday use.
常見錯誤
7. a flat brass plaque fixed to the floor or wall of a church to remember a dead pe
紀念銅碑
教堂牆面或地上的追思銅板
a flat brass plaque fixed to the floor or wall of a church to remember a dead person, often with words or an engraved picture.
Visitors stopped to read the brass set into the church floor.
遊客停下來閱讀嵌在教堂地板上的紀念銅碑。
collocation: brass set into the church floor
A worn brass on the wall marked where the knight was buried.
牆上的一塊磨損紀念銅碑標示著那位騎士的埋葬處。
The guide pointed out a fifteenth-century brass beside the altar.
導覽員指著祭壇旁一塊十五世紀的紀念銅碑。
Dust had gathered around the brass marking the old bishop's resting place.
那塊標示老主教安息處的紀念銅碑周圍積著灰塵。
文法句型
a brass
brass on the floor
brass on the wall
用法筆記
This historical sense is mainly found in church, museum, and architecture contexts. It refers to one memorial plaque, not to brass objects in general.
brass — 形容詞
- brasspositive
- brassercomparative
- brassestsuperlative
1. made from brass rather than from another metal or material.
黃銅製的
用黃銅做成的
made from brass rather than from another metal or material.
The museum keeps a brass astrolabe in a locked glass case.
博物館把一具黃銅製的星盤鎖在玻璃櫃裡。
collocation: brass astrolabe
Maeve bought brass hooks for the coat rack by the door.
Maeve 買了黃銅製的掛鉤，裝在門邊的衣帽架上。
A brass key hung from a red ribbon tied around the box.
一把黃銅製的鑰匙掛在綁住盒子的紅絲帶上。
Rain darkened the brass railing outside the old station.
雨水讓舊車站外的黃銅製欄杆變暗了。
文法句型
brass + noun
用法筆記
Usually comes before the noun it describes. If you only mean the colour, use a phrase such as 'brass-coloured' instead.
常見錯誤
2. written for, played by, or made up of instruments such as trumpets, trombones, a
銅管樂的
供銅管樂器演奏的
written for, played by, or made up of instruments such as trumpets, trombones, and horns.
The school band played a bright brass arrangement of the folk song.
校樂隊演奏了一首明亮的銅管樂改編曲。
collocation: brass arrangement
Joaquín practices with a brass quintet every Thursday evening.
Joaquín 每週四晚上都和一個銅管五重奏團練習。
The festival opened with a short brass fanfare by local students.
音樂節由本地學生演奏的一小段銅管號角曲揭幕。
Élise's new piece mixes strings and brass passages in the final movement.
Élise 的新作品在終樂章混合了弦樂和銅管樂段。
- horn
an informal musical label, but it usually refers to the players or parts rather than the whole family
- string
used for music written for or played by string instruments
文法句型
brass + band/quintet/fanfare
brass + noun
用法筆記
This music sense describes ensembles, pieces, or passages connected with brass instruments. It does not simply mean 'made of brass metal'.