brad
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A paper fastener, a fastening device formed of thin, soft metal, such as shim brass, with a round head and a flat, split shank.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
bradIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈbɹæd
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
USelementary school usage
A paper fastener, a fastening device formed of thin, soft metal, such as shim brass, with a round head and a flat, split shank, which is spread after insertion in a hole in a stack of pages, in much the same way as a cotter pin or a split rivet.
A thin, small nail, with a slight projection at the top on one side instead of a head, or occasionally with a small domed head, similar to that of an escutcheon pin.
A diminutive of the male given names Bradley, Bradly, or Bradford, also used as a formal given name.
A binary radian.
verb
transitive
To upset the end of a rod inserted in a hole so as to prevent it from being pulled out, as when riveting.
transitive
To attach using a brad.
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: (US, elementary school usage) A paper fastener, a fastening device formed of thin, soft metal, such as shim brass, with a round head and a flat, split shank, which is spread after insertion in a hole in a stack of pages, in much the same way as a cotter pin or a split rivet.
Used this way, brad is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It turns up most in education or classroom contexts.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Where it naturally appears
- Education/classroom
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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