1. (n.) An architectural member, plain or ornamental, projecting from a wall or pier, to support weight falling outside of the same; also, a decorative feature seeming to discharge such an office.

2. (n.) A piece or combination of pieces, usually triangular in general shape, projecting from, or fastened to, a wall, or other surface, to support heavy bodies or to strengthen angles.

3. (n.) A shot, crooked timber, resembling a knee, used as a support.

4. (n.) The cheek or side of an ordnance carriage.

5. (n.) One of two characters [], used to enclose a reference, explanation, or note, or a part to be excluded from a sentence, to indicate an interpolation, to rectify a mistake, or to supply an omission, and for certain other purposes; -- called also crotchet.

6. (n.) A gas fixture or lamp holder projecting from the face of a wall, column, or the like.

7. (v. t.) To place within brackets; to connect by brackets; to furnish with brackets.

accouple accumulate advocate agglutinate ally alpenstock amass analyze apply arm articulate assemble associate athletic supporter back backbone backing band bandeau bearer bind blood bond bra brace bracer branch brassiere bridge bridge over buttress cane carrier caste category cement cervix chain clan clap together class classification classify collate collect combine comprise concatenate conglobulate conjoin conjugate connect console contrast copulate corbel correlate corset couple couple up cover crook crutch decline division double-harness double-team draw a parallel embrace encompass equate estate foundation garment fulcrum gather girdle glue grade group grouping guy guywire head heading hyphenate identify include inflect interrelate jock jockstrap join kin knot label lay together league level link lump together mainstay maintainer mark marry marshal mass mast match mate merge mobilize neck order pair pair off parallel parallelize parenthesize parse piece together pigeonhole point position predicament prop punctuate put together race rank rating reinforce reinforcement reinforcer relate relativize rest resting place rigging roll into one rubric section sept set shelf shoulder shroud solder span spine splice sprit staff standing rigging station status stave stay stick stick together stiffener strain stratum strengthener subdivision subgroup suborder support supporter sustainer take in tape team team up tie title unify unite upholder walking stick wed weld yoke