The action or process of using brackets or placing something within brackets; the system of brackets themselves.
From Middle Dutch 'bracke' (bracket) plus the English gerund suffix '-ing' (Old English '-ing', forming nouns from verbs). The practice of bracketing became common in printing and mathematics during the Renaissance.
Bracketing in various fields—from mathematics to sociolinguistics—is a tool for isolating and examining specific units. In sociology, 'bracketing' means temporarily setting aside assumptions to study something objectively, showing how the same word traveled from physical punctuation to philosophical methodology.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.