brack´et|like´

brack|et «BRAK iht», noun, verb.

–n.

1. a flat piece of stone, wood, or metal projecting from a wall as a support for a shelf, statue, or other thing: »

When a bracket came loose the shelf crashed to the floor.

2. such a support most often in the shape of a right triangle.

3. a small shelf supported by brackets.

4. Architecture. any member designed to support an overhanging balcony, cornice, or other projecting structure, such as a piece attached to the wall or the end of a beam that extends under the overhanging surface.

5. a gas or electric fixture projecting from a wall.

6. a) either of these signs [ ], used to enclose words or figures: »

In the article, he used brackets to show which parts expressed his own opinion.

b) a parenthesis. c) a brace (def. 4).

7. Figurative. any group thought of or mentioned together; class or category: »

The old building is occupied by persons in a low income bracket.

8. Mathematics. a straight line placed over an expression and meaning the same as parentheses around the expression; vinculum.

9. one of the two side pieces of a gun carriage.

10. the (specified) distance between a pair of shots fired, one beyond the target and one short of it, in order to find the range for artillery.

11. a calypso song with nonsense verses.

–v.t.

1. to support with a bracket or brackets: »

He bracketed the shelves underneath to make them stronger.

2. a) to enclose within brackets: »

to bracket a phrase. The teacher bracketed the mistakes in my homework. Figurative. The Calvertson facility…will soon be bracketed by the Long Island Expressway on the south and the existing Jericho turnpike (New York Times).

b) to couple with a brace.

3. Figurative. to think of or mention together; group in the same class or category: »

Poets, artists, and musicians are often bracketed.

4. to fire two shots, one beyond and one short of (a target) in order to find the range for artillery.

╂[< Middle French braguette codpiece (diminutive) < brague breeches < Old Provençal braga < Latin brāca, ultimately < a Germanic word]

–brack´et|like´, adjective.