bracket Definition

bracket
noun

1. non-technical
Either member of several pairs of symbols, < >, { }, ( ), [ ], used to group together or enclose words, figures, etc. Technical equivalent angle bracket, brace noun 5, parenthesis, square bracket.
2. A group or category falling within a certain range.

Example: income bracket
Example: out of my price bracket
3. An L-shaped piece of metal or strong plastic, used for attaching shelves, etc to walls.
4. A small shelf fastened to a wall.
5. archit.
A small projecting support, usually of stonework, eg in the form of a scroll.

verb

bracketed, bracketing
1. To enclose or group together (words, etc) in brackets.

Etymology: 16c in noun sense 5: from French braguette, ultimately from Latin bracae breeches.

Phrasal Verb: bracket someone or something together

To put them or it into the same group or category.

Info:

1. round brackets or parentheses

○ These separate a comment off from the rest of the sentence &wbox; &wbox;

Alternative styles: a pair of commas; (more informal) a pair of long dashes. Punctuation that belongs to the bracketed comment goes inside the brackets; punctuation belonging to the sentence as a whole goes outside the brackets:

○ They are an economical way of indicating alternatives or options &wbox;

○ They enclose numbers or letters that mark off items in a list &wbox;

2. square brackets

○ These enclose letters, words or phrases inserted as comments, corrections or explanations into a piece of quoted text, for example by an editor &wbox; &wbox;