bracket

The word “bracket” means a support fixed to a wall or frame that holds up a shelf or other object. In plain terms, a bracket can be a physical support, a punctuation mark used in pairs, or a category/range something is grouped into (like a tax bracket or tournament bracket).

“Bracket” is pronounced BRA-kiht (/ˈbɹækɪt/ in IPA).

Here is “bracket” used in a sentence: “He screwed a metal bracket into the wall to hold the TV.”

Words with a similar meaning to “bracket” include parentheses and parens.

Depending on how it is used, “bracket” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “bracket” comes from Latin. From an older word for the fly-opening on a pair of breeches, ultimately from Latin braca ("trousers") — the shape of the punctuation mark was compared to that opening.

“Bracket” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

“Bracket” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a support fixed to a wall or frame that holds up a shelf or other object.

Round brackets, also called parentheses ( ), are typically used to add extra or clarifying information within a sentence. Square brackets [ ] are more often used to insert editorial notes or clarifications into quoted text, or in mathematical expressions to group values, especially when parentheses are already in use.

Being in a certain tax or age bracket means falling within a defined category or range, such as an income range that determines the tax rate applied, or an age range used for grouping purposes. This use of bracket refers to a category or range something falls into.

A tournament bracket is a chart showing the category or range of matchups in a competition, mapping out which teams or players face each other and how they progress toward a final round. It uses the same underlying sense of bracket as a range or grouping structure.

Yes, to bracket something means to group it together as belonging to the same category, such as bracketing several related issues together for discussion.