What does brad mean?
A brad is a small, slender nail, typically made of fine wire, with either a vestigial head or none at all. Because it leaves only a tiny hole and is easy to conceal with filler or paint, it is the fastener of choice for delicate work such as attaching mouldings, trim, picture-frame backs, and cabinet parts. Brads are commonly driven with a hammer after being started by hand, though today they are more often fired from a specialised tool called a brad nailer, which has made the word familiar to DIY enthusiasts as well as professional joiners. The word is old — it reaches back to Middle English — and its exact deeper origin is uncertain, though it may be connected to Old Norse. Narrow in scope but precise, brad is indispensable vocabulary for anyone discussing fine woodworking, where the difference between an invisible joint and a conspicuous one can come down to the choice of this unobtrusive little fastener.
nounA slender wire nail with a very small head or no head at all, used especially in fine carpentry and joinery where the fixing must be inconspicuous.
- A small, slender nail with little or no head, used in fine woodworking where visible fastenings would spoil the appearance.
"She secured the delicate moulding with brads so the nail heads would barely show."
"He tacked the picture frame's backing board in place with a few brads."
"The carpenter loaded the brad nailer with 18-gauge brads before fitting the trim."
Regular plural; brads are typically bought and used in quantity, so the plural is the most frequent form in practice.
"She emptied a box of two-inch brads into the nailer's magazine."
The humblest nail in the carpenter's kit has a name that rhymes with 'sad' and dates back to Middle English — yet it's the go-to fix when you want wood held together invisibly.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of brad
Brad comes from Middle English, where it denoted a nail or pointed fastener. Its further origin is uncertain; some etymologists connect it to Old Norse, reflecting the Scandinavian influence on English craft vocabulary, but the derivation is not firmly established. It has been in continuous use in the woodworking trades since the medieval period.
Related word forms
How brad is actually used
Brads belong chiefly to the vocabulary of carpentry, joinery, and DIY; they are technical but not obscure. In modern usage 'brad' often appears in the compound 'brad nailer', the pneumatic or electric tool designed to drive them.
Easily confused with brad
A brad is a small headless nail driven in with a hammer or brad nailer, while a bradawl is a hand tool with a sharp point used to make pilot holes.
Broad is an adjective meaning wide, unrelated in meaning to brad, the small nail.