bracket

B2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈbɹækɪt/ See IPA manual

verb noun Freq #24332

Meanings

1

noun
One of a set of ranges into which things are grouped, such as for tax or age.

A pay rise pushed her into a higher tax bracket.
2

noun
A support fixed to a wall to hold up a shelf or other object.

He fixed metal brackets to the wall to hold the shelf.
3

verb
To group or classify things together.

The coach bracketed the younger players with the older ones.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 noun · a support fixed to a wall... wall bracket

More parensparentheses

Word family

Forms bracketedbracketingbrackets

Derived forms bracketerbracketlessbracketlikebracketologybracketrybracketwisebracketybroketmultibracketsuperbracketunbracket

Related forms apostrophe brace colon comma dash ellipsis guillemet hyphen interpunctinterrobangperiod semicolon

Etymology

From earlier bragget, *bracket, from Middle English *braget, *braket (attested in braket nail), from Old French braguette (“the opening in the fore part of a pair of breeches, one's fly”), a diminutive of Old French brague (“knickers, britches”), from Old Occitan braga, from Latin brāca (“pants”), from Transalpine Gaulish *brāca, from Proto-Germanic *brāks, an early form of Proto-Germanic *brōks (“leggings, breeches, trousers”).

*braget Middle English braguette Old French brague Old French braga pro brāca Latin *brāca xtg *brōks Proto-Germanic

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Topics

Actions & Processes

# bracket

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** ˈbɹækɪt
**Frequency rank:** 24332

## Meanings
1. One of a set of ranges into which things are grouped, such as for tax or age.
2. A support fixed to a wall to hold up a shelf or other object.
3. To group or classify things together.

## Examples
- A pay rise pushed her into a higher tax bracket.
- He fixed metal brackets to the wall to hold the shelf.
- The coach bracketed the younger players with the older ones.

## Synonyms
- parens
- parentheses

## Derived Forms
- bracketer
- bracketless
- bracketlike
- bracketology
- bracketry
- bracketwise
- brackety
- broket
- multibracket
- superbracket
- unbracket

## Related Forms
- apostrophe
- brace
- colon
- comma
- dash
- ellipsis
- guillemet
- hyphen
- interpunct
- interrobang
- period
- semicolon

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *braget
- Root: braguette
- Root: brague
- Root: braga
- Root: brāca
- Root: *brāca
- Root: *brōks

## Etymology
From earlier bragget, *bracket, from Middle English *braget, *braket (attested in braket nail), from Old French braguette (“the opening in the fore part of a pair of breeches, one's fly”), a diminutive of Old French brague (“knickers, britches”), from Old Occitan braga, from Latin brāca (“pants”), from Transalpine Gaulish *brāca, from Proto-Germanic *brāks, an early form of Proto-Germanic *brōks (“leggings, breeches, trousers”).

## AI Etymology
Bracket comes from earlier bragget, *bracket, from Middle English *braget, *braket (attested in braket nail), from Old French braguette (“the opening in the fore part of a pair of breeches, one's fly”), a diminutive of Old French brague (“knickers, britches”), from Old Occitan braga, from Latin brāca (“pants”), from Transalpine Gaulish *brāca, from Proto-Germanic *brāks, an early form of Proto-Germanic *brōks (“leggings, breeches, trousers”).

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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bracket

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