What does brazing mean?
Brazing is a metal-joining process in which components are bonded together using a filler metal that is heated above its melting point—typically above 450 °C (840 °F)—but below the melting point of the base metals being joined. The molten filler flows into the narrow gap between the parts by capillary action, creating a strong joint as it cools and solidifies. Because the parent metals are never melted, brazing preserves their integrity and allows dissimilar metals to be joined, which distinguishes it from welding. It also differs from soldering purely by the higher temperature involved. Brazing is widely used in plumbing, toolmaking, bicycle frame construction, HVAC work, and jewelry manufacture. The word derives from "braze," ultimately linked to "brass," reflecting the early use of brass-like copper-zinc alloys as filler. It remains an essential technique wherever precise, strong joints are required without damaging surrounding material.
A metal-joining process in which a filler metal with a melting point above 450 °C (840 °F) is melted and drawn into the joint between closely fitted parts by capillary action, bonding them without melting the base metals.
"The repair shop specializes in the brazing of aluminum heat exchangers."
Usually treated as an uncountable noun when referring to the process itself.
Present participle of "braze": to join (metal objects) using a molten filler metal at high temperature without melting the base metals.
"The technician was carefully brazing the copper fittings onto the pipe."
Used both as a progressive verb form and as a gerund functioning as a noun.
Brazing is ancient enough that Egyptian artisans used it thousands of years ago to join gold ornaments — and it's still how many high-end bicycle frames are built today.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of brazing
The noun "brazing" comes from the verb "braze," which entered English in the late 16th or early 17th century from French "braser" (to solder), likely of Germanic origin. The term is historically connected to "brass," since early brazing commonly employed brass or bronze alloys as the filler metal. Cognate forms appear across Romance languages through the same Old French source.
Related word forms
How brazing is actually used
Primarily a technical term used in metallurgy, engineering, plumbing, and manufacturing trades. It is a gerund/noun form of the verb "braze" and is uncountable when referring to the process generally.
Easily confused with brazing
Soldering uses a filler metal that melts below about 450 °C (840 °F), whereas brazing uses a higher-melting filler.
Welding melts the base metals themselves to fuse them, while brazing joins them without melting the parent metal.