金屬本身與它做成的東西
這一族就是核心本身：材質，以及用這個材質做出來的物件。
brass, the metal · noun · C1
A hard, bright yellow metal made by mixing copper and zinc, used for keys, door handles, and bed frames.
黃銅
核心畫面
One way to picture it: a hard, bright yellow metal made by mixing copper and zinc — heavy, loud when struck, and it shines like gold without being gold.
一塊用銅和鋅混出來的硬金屬，黃澄澄地發亮——門把、鑰匙、床頭欄杆上那種顏色。它有幾個很搶眼的性質：亮得像金子但不是金…更多收起
一塊用銅和鋅混出來的硬金屬，黃澄澄地發亮——門把、鑰匙、床頭欄杆上那種顏色。它有幾個很搶眼的性質：亮得像金子但不是金子、敲下去會響、擦一擦就閃。英文裡 brass 的各種用法，大多是從這塊「亮、響、擺在顯眼處」的黃金屬身上長出來的；不過要注意，其中有幾個意思其實是別的來源撞在同一個拼法上，不必硬掰回這塊金屬。Five branches
銅管樂器與吹它們的人
材料直接變成樂器的名字：因為這些樂器就是用那塊黃金屬做的，久了 brass 本身就成了「銅管」這個類別。
brass instruments · noun · C1
Musical instruments made of metal, such as the trumpet, trombone, and tuba, that you play by blowing air into them.
銅管樂器
高層人物
從金屬跳到穿戴這金屬的人：軍裝上的黃銅配件太顯眼，久了乾脆用 brass 稱呼戴著它們的那批人。
top officials, the brass · noun · C1
The people who hold the most important jobs, especially in the army or in a large company.
高層
只活在固定說法裡的 brass
這兩個意思不能拆開看：brass 這個字單獨並沒有「正事」或「很冷」的意思，是整句話一起才有。
get down to brass tacks · noun · C1
Used in the phrase get down to brass tacks: to start talking about the most important facts or details of a plan or problem.
談正事
錢（另一條路的同形字）
這裡跟核心的關係很鬆：與其硬說是黃銅的比喻，不如當成北英格蘭口語裡「銅板＝錢」的獨立說法。
money, British slang · noun · C1
Money, in informal British talk.
錢
原始詞典資料18 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
brassnoun詞源 1/bɹɑːs/
- 1
A metallic alloy of copper and zinc used in many industrial and plumbing applications.
- 2
A metallic alloy of copper and zinc used in many industrial and plumbing applications.
- 3
entertainmentlifestylemusicA class of wind instruments, usually made of metal (such as brass), that use vibrations of the player's lips to produce sound; a band or the section of an orchestra that features such instruments.
- A few measures later, the brass comes in strong!
- 4
Spent cartridge casings (usually made of brass): the part of the cartridge left over after bullets or shells have been fired.
- 5
The color of brass (etymology 1, noun sense 1).
- 6
governmentmilitarypoliticsHigh-ranking officers: the brass hats.
- The brass are not going to like this.
- The brass is not going to like this.
- 7
informalA brave or foolhardy attitude; impudence.
- You've got a lot of brass telling me to do that!
- 8
datedslangMoney.
另外 1 個記錄的用法
- 9
Inferior composition.
brassadj詞源 1/bɹɑːs/
- 1
Made of brass, of or pertaining to brass.
- 2
Of the color of brass.
- 3
informalImpertinent, bold: brazen.
- At the Council board, I hope to charge him with that he cannot answer, and yet I know his face is brass enough.
- [...] he continued in the same insulting strain. "If you were not quite brass, you would know it is not proper to be making promises you dare not tell of."
- 4
slangBad, annoying; as wordplay applied especially to brass instruments.
- Grindoff, the miller, 'and the leader of a very brass band of most unpopular performers, with a thorough base accompaniment of at least fifty vices,' was played by Miss Saunders.
- I must confess that to me there is something almost pathetic in the sight of a body of bluejackets improving their muscles on the quarter deck by bar-bell exercise, accompanied by a brass — a very brass — band, [...]
- 5
Of inferior composition.
- As Honest Plush Brannon then, Mr. Beery is one of San Francisco's fancier con men and hence more brass than plush
brassverb詞源 1/bɹɑːs/
- 1
To coat with brass.
brassnoun詞源 2/bɹɑːs/
- 1
slangA prostitute.
- Health service glasses, gigolos and brasses, round or skinny bottoms
- Richard didn't want the man on the corner to go up and fuck one of the brasses.
brassadj詞源 2/bɹɑːs/
- 1
slangBrass monkey; cold.
brassnoun詞源 3/bɹɑːs/
- 1
obsoletehistoricalSynonym of brace, a traditional unit of measure equivalent to a fathom (6 feet) or about 1.6 m, especially as the Spanish braza and Portuguese braça, also French brasse.
資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。