Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

bracket abstraction
     
         An {algorithm} which turns a term into a function
        of some variable.  The result of using bracket abstraction on
        T with respect to variable v, written as [v]T, is a term
        containing no occurrences of v and denoting a function f such
        that f v = T.  This defines the function f = (\ v . T).  Using
        bracket abstraction and {currying} we can define a language
        without {bound variable}s in which the only operation is
        {monadic} function application.
     
        See {combinator}.
     
        (1995-03-07)