bracket

Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

1.(Arch.) An architectural member, plain or ornamental, projecting from a wall or pier, to support weight falling outside of the same; also, a decorative feature seeming to discharge such an office. [1913 Webster]

Note: This is the more general word. See Brace, Cantalever, Console, Corbel, Strut. [1913 Webster]

2.(Engin. & Mech.) A piece or combination of pieces, usually triangular in general shape, projecting from, or fastened to, a wall, or other surface, to support heavy bodies or to strengthen angles. [1913 Webster]

3.(Naut.) A shot, crooked timber, resembling a knee, used as a support. [1913 Webster]

4.(Mil.) The cheek or side of an ordnance carriage. [1913 Webster]

5.(Print.) One of two characters [], used to inclose a reference, explanation, or note, or a part to be excluded from a sentence, to indicate an interpolation, to rectify a mistake, or to supply an omission, and for certain other purposes; -- called also crotchet. [1913 Webster]

6.A gas fixture or lamp holder projecting from the face of a wall, column, or the like. [1913 Webster]

7.(Gunnery) A figure determined by firing a projectile beyond a target and another short of it, as a basis for ascertaining the proper elevation of the piece; -- only used in the phrase, to establish a bracket. After the bracket is established shots are fired with intermediate elevations until the exact range is obtained. In the United States navy it is called fork. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

Bracket light, a gas fixture or a lamp attached to a wall, column, etc. [1913 Webster]

1.To place within brackets; to connect by brackets; to furnish with brackets. [1913 Webster]

2.(Gunnery) To shoot so as to establish a bracket for (an object). [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

Free On-line Dictionary of Computing

<character> (Or square bracket) A left bracket or right bracket.

Often used loosely for parentheses, square brackets, braces, angle brackets, or any other kind of unequal paired delimiters.

(1996-09-08)