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Glite Dictionary
brass knuckles

brass knuckles

5 7.7
A metal band worn over the knuckles to make a punch stronger
  • noun
  • /bræs ˈnʌkəlz/
  • NSFW
translation icon : nudillos de metal
  • After the altercation, the police found brass knuckles hidden in the suspect's jacket pocket.
  • a pair of brass knuckles
  • a weapon like brass knuckles
  • bring your brass knuckles

Examples

  • He put on his brass knuckles before entering the fight, hoping to increase the power of his punches.

  • I slipped brass knuckles over my fingers, moved in, and punched him at the angle of his jaw.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • Go out on a Saturday night with just brass knuckles, nothing else.

    Hardware (1990)

  • Those are my brass knuckles.

    Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)

  • I think he was using brass knuckles.

    Big Jake (1971)

  • I slipped the brass knuckles off my hand and started to find my way home again.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • Jake slips on a pair of brass knuckles.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • The promotion of weapons includes guns, gun parts or hardware, ammunition, bombs, knives, throwing stars, and brass knuckles.

    Blog text (30)

  • Men carried brass knuckles (or "knuckle-dusters") and a wide array of knives with them.

    Blog text (9)

  • The bar bouncer confiscated a pair of brass knuckles from a patron as he attempted to start a fight.

Synonyms

knuckles
vsbrass knuckles
  • US
2 9.5

A small metal weapon that fits over your fingers to make a punch stronger

is the same object but uses a different common name
knuckle duster
vsbrass knuckles
  • UK
8.6

A small metal weapon that fits over the knuckles to make a punch stronger

is a neutral description stressing design rather than its use as a weapon
brass knucks
vsbrass knuckles
  • NSFW
9.9

A small metal weapon worn over the knuckles to make a punch hit harder

is the standard name form rather than the shortened informal variant
knucks
vsbrass knuckles
  • Slang
9.9

A small metal weapon that you wear on the back of the hand to hit someone

is focused on increasing punch force rather than general striking use

Surface Forms

brass knuckles plural

Morphology

brass + knuckles

The MWE is directly compositional: 'brass' (a metal) combined with 'knuckles' (the joints of the fingers) yields a metal object associated with the knuckles. A B1 learner who knows both constituents can readily infer it is a metal fitting worn on the knuckles to increase punching force, so the meaning is transparent.

Etymology

The noun brass knuckles comes from metal pieces of brass that fit over the knuckles and make a punch stronger. That's why the term means 'a metal weapon worn on the hand'.