bracket

brack|et¹ [ˈbrækıt] n

[Date: 1500-1600; : French; Origin: braguette 'codpiece', from brague 'trousers', from Latin braca; because of the way a bracket (3) sticks out]

1.) [usually plural] also round bracket

BrE one of the pair of signs put around words to show extra information

American Equivalent: parenthesisin brackets

▪ Last year's sales figures are given in brackets.

→↑angle brackets

→↑square bracket

→↑punctuation mark

2.) income/tax/age etc bracket

a particular income, tax etc range

▪ Peter's salary puts him in the highest tax bracket.

▪ families in lower income brackets

3.) a piece of metal, wood, or plastic, often in the shape of the letter L, fixed to a wall to support something such as a shelf

bracket ²

bracket² v [T usually passive]

1.) to consider two or more people or things as being similar or the same

bracket sb together

▪ Women and minors were bracketed together for the legislation.

bracket sb with sb

▪ Arizona has been bracketed with Iowa in the tournament.

2.) to put brackets around a written word, piece of information etc

▪ Debit amounts are bracketed.