Meanings of the English word \'brass\'

[Marcus Mummius]

What are all the meanings of the English word brass?

I know it's used to designate an alloy of coppr and zinc but I've also seen it used as a common name for bronze and every other cupric alloy...

I'm reading an English translation (by by John Bostock and H. T. Riley (1855)) of Plinius Naturalis historia liber XXXIV.

It's a book about non-precious metals. You can see a link to the translation here: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/pt ... .+Nat.+toc

Can anyone tell me what meaning the word brass has in this case?

Valete,

[Tarbicus]

Jef, your link just goes to the main Books Index. Can you tell us which book, chapter, etc, as there are a few brasses in the metals sections.

But, browsing through the metals, here's a little eye-opener on one architect's plans for magnetic iron/loadstone:

The architect Timochares4 began to erect a vaulted roof of loadstone, in the Temple of Arsinoë,5 at Alexandria, in order that the iron statue of that princess might have the appearance of hanging suspended in the air:6 his death, however, and that of King Ptolemæus, who had ordered this monument to be erected in honour of his sister, prevented the completion of the project.

hock: If only.....

But, I wonder if they tried it on a smaller scale first?

[Marcus Mummius]

Yes I was surprised by the story about the floating statue too

Well, it's book 34 (XXXIV). I've found the explanation about the different meanings of the word brass. I didn't read the footnotes yet :oops:

It says:

Æris Metalla." The word "Æs" does not entirely correspond to our word "brass;" the brass of the moderns being a compound of copper and zinc, while the "Æs" of the ancients was mostly composed of copper and tin, and therefore, would be more correctly designated by the word "bronze." But this last term is now so generally appropriated to works of art, that it would seem preferable to employ in most cases the more general terms "copper" or "brass." For an excellent account of the "Æs" of the ancients, see Smith's Dict. Antiq. "Æs."--B. Mr. Westmacott, in the above-mentioned article, says that the ancient "Æs" has been found, upon analysis, to contain no zinc, but in nearly every instance to be a mixture of copper and tin, like our bronze. Beckmann says, on the other hand, that the mixture of zinc and copper now called "brass," first discovered by ores, abundant in zinc, was certainly known to the ancients. "In the course of time, an ore, which must have been calamine, was added to copper while melting, to give it a yellow colour." Hist. Inv. Vol. II. pp. 32, 33. Bohn's Edition. There can be little doubt that the native Cadmia of Chapter 22 of this Book was our Calamine, hydrosilicate of zinc, or carbonate of zinc, or else copper ore impregnated with calamine.

I really want to read the entire Naturalis Historiae, it's full of very interesting information!

For example on metalplating: CHAP. 48. (17.)--STANNUM. ARGENTARIUM.

When copper vessels are coated with stannum,1 they produce a less disagreeable flavour, and the formation of verdigris is prevented; it is also remarkable, that the weight of the vessel is not increased......

Vale,

[Tarbicus]

I'm just looking at the different methods of painting, which is fascinating, especially when we see a progression of artists gradually introducing new advancements in represention.

I noticed in the metals chapters he describes how to prevent rust.

Thanks for the link.

Laudes.