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Glite Dictionary
low brass

low brass

8.4
A metal made mostly of copper that has 30% or less zinc
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : latón bajo
  • The pipes were manufactured from low brass to increase their resistance to corrosion.

Examples

  • Engineers recommended using low brass for the components exposed to high temperatures.

  • The pipes used in the plumbing system were crafted from low brass to enhance their corrosion resistance.

  • Musical instruments are rarely made from low brass due to its specific metallurgical properties.

  • The instrument is made of low brass.

  • Many musicians prefer low brass for its warm tone.

  • Engineers recommend using low brass for the components exposed to high temperatures because of its low zinc content.

  • Due to its specific metallurgical properties, low brass is not commonly chosen for musical instruments.

How Strong

high-strength brass
  • Specialized
7.0
low brass
  • Specialized
8.4

Surface Forms

low brass singular
low brasses plural

Morphology

low + brass

The phrase is compositionally built from 'low' + 'brass', so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a kind of brass with a low amount of some component. However, the precise technical meaning (specifically ≤30% zinc) is specialised and not deducible from the constituents alone, and the referent of 'low' (zinc content rather than pitch, quality, etc.) is potentially ambiguous without domain knowledge. Because part of the meaning is transparent but the exact, technical interpretation is unpredictable for a B1 learner, it is best classed as semi-transparent.

Etymology

The noun low brass comes from how people who work with metal labeled their mixtures. They used low to show a small amount of 'zinc' in the brass, so low brass means 'brass with little zinc'.