Plural of brass; multiple objects made of the brass metal alloy, or multiple musical instruments made of brass.
From Old English 'bræs' (brass metal), Germanic origin, related to Dutch 'bras'. The plural form simply adds -es to indicate multiple items.
Brasses have been prized since ancient times—the Romans mixed copper and zinc to make brass, but didn't fully understand they were doing it! Medieval armies valued brass more than gold for armor and weapons because it was harder and less expensive.
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