word choice - Bracket vs brace


I found the terms bracket and brace used interchangeably. Is there a difference, and what is it?



Answer



"Brackets" is used interchangeably for various symbols:



  • angle brackets for <>

  • round brackets for ()

  • curly brackets for {}

  • square brackets for []

  • and more, some of which are only used in certain regions or cultures


The more specific "braces" and "parentheses" are almost never used for other than {} and (), respectively. Mathematics has several more (subtle) variations in addition and is formalized more than other fields.


I prefer "braces" for {}, "parens" (informally or in the context of programming) or "parentheses" for (), and plain "brackets" for [], though "square brackets" is sometimes required to be explicit about the latter. This gives you a one-word name for any of those common symbols. (And don't get me started on the problems of angle brackets for grouping... :P)


To provide a non-text counterpoint, "bracketing" in photography is taking multiple exposures around a given value (which value—white balance, ISO, aperture, etc.—depends on what you're targeting). This shows the use of "bracket" to mean "surrounding," which lines up nicely with the text symbols above.


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