1. punctuation marks used in pairs to enclose words or figures, especially square brackets [ ] or parentheses ( )
2. L-shaped supports attached to a wall to hold shelves or other objects
3. categories or groups, especially income ranges for tax purposes

1. to enclose words or figures within brackets
2. to group or categorize together

Examples

• Please put the additional information in square brackets.
• The shelf fell because one of the brackets came loose from the wall.
• People in higher tax brackets pay more income tax.
• The editor bracketed the unclear phrase for revision.
• The survey bracketed respondents by age and income level.
• Use brackets around any editorial comments you add to the quote.
• We need stronger brackets to support this heavy bookshelf.