BRACKET | English Meaning, Definition, and Pronunciation

late 16th century: from French braguette or Spanish bragueta ‘codpiece, bracket, corbel’, from Provençal braga, from Latin braca, (plural) bracae ‘breeches’

each of a pair of marks ( ) [ ] { } 〈 〉 used to enclose words or figures so as to separate them from the context

mark used to enclose words or figures

• symbols are given in brackets

a category of people or things that are similar or fall between specified limits

category or group

• those in a high income bracket

a right-angled support attached to a wall for holding a shelf, lamp, or other object.

right-angled support for shelf

the distance between two artillery shots fired either side of the target to establish range.

distance between two shots fired to establish range

a diagram representing the sequence of matches in a sports tournament, especially as used for making predictions about its outcome

diagram of matches in sports tournament

• with the March Madness tournament half the fun is filling out your bracket

a person's nose or jaw

nose or jaw

• a quick punch up the bracket

enclose (words or figures) in brackets

enclose in brackets

• I have bracketed the phrase ‘of contrary qualities’ in the translation, since it is not explicit in the Greek

place (one or more people or things) in the same category or group

place in same category or group

• he is sometimes bracketed with the ‘new wave’ of film directors

hold or attach (something) by means of a right-angled support

hold or attach with right-angled support

• pipes should be bracketed

establish the range of (a target) by firing two preliminary shots, one short of the target and the other beyond it.

establish range by firing preliminary shots