noun
brad
brad
noun
1
A small, slender nail with a barely-there head, used in fine woodworking so the nail can be sunk flush and hidden.
"He used brads to attach the thin trim without splitting the wood."
2
A small metal fastener with a round head and two flat prongs that splay apart to hold sheets of paper together.
"The report was bound with a brad through the top corner."
How to Use Brad
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA brad is either a slim, nearly headless nail used in carpentry, or a small paper fastener with splitting prongs.
Common pairings
brad nail
paper brad
brad gun
Word Forms
bradded past tense, brads plural, brads plural, brads singular
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He used _____ to attach the thin trim without splitting the wood.
Etymology
From late Middle English brad, related to Old Norse broddr ("spike, shaft").