Past tense of brad: fastened or secured with a thin nail called a brad.
From 'brad' (a thin nail) with the past tense suffix '-ed'. Brad itself likely derives from Old Norse 'broddr' meaning 'spike' or 'point', which entered English through Scandinavian influence.
The word 'bradded' appears in woodworking and carpentry, where bradded joints are actually weaker than nailed ones—this is why brads are used for delicate trim rather than structural work. It's a perfect example of how tool-specific vocabulary gets fossilized in past tense forms that most people never say aloud.
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