Lexic.us

Definition of Brace

1. Verb. Prepare (oneself) for something unpleasant or difficult.

2. Noun. A support that steadies or strengthens something else. "He wore a brace on his knee"

3. Verb. Support or hold steady and make steadfast, with or as if with a brace. "Brace your elbows while working on the potter's wheel"

4. Noun. Two items of the same kind.

5. Verb. Support by bracing.

6. Noun. A set of two similar things considered as a unit.

7. Verb. Cause to be alert and energetic. "This herbal infusion doesn't stimulate"

8. Noun. Either of two punctuation marks ({ or }) used to enclose textual material.

9. Noun. A rope on a square-rigged ship that is used to swing a yard about and secure it.

10. Noun. Elastic straps that hold trousers up (usually used in the plural).

11. Noun. An appliance that corrects dental irregularities.

12. Noun. A carpenter's tool having a crank handle for turning and a socket to hold a bit for boring.

13. Noun. A structural member used to stiffen a framework.

Definition of Brace

1. n. That which holds anything tightly or supports it firmly; a bandage or a prop.

2. v. t. To furnish with braces; to support; to prop; as, to brace a beam in a building.

3. v. i. To get tone or vigor; to rouse one's energies; -- with up.

Definition of Brace

1. Noun. (obsolete) Armor for the arm; vambrace. ¹

2. Noun. (obsolete) A measurement of length, originally representing a person's outstretched arms. ¹

3. Noun. A curved instrument or handle of iron or wood, for holding and turning bits, etc.; a bitstock. ¹

4. Noun. That which holds anything tightly or supports it firmly; a bandage or a prop. ¹

5. Noun. A cord, ligament, or rod, for producing or maintaining tension ¹

6. Noun. A thong used to regulate the tension of a drum. ¹

7. Noun. A vertical curved line or "curly bracket":  {  or  }  connecting two or more words or lines, which are to be considered together, such as in (role, roll); or, in music, used to connect staves. ¹

8. Noun. A pair, a couple; originally used of dogs, and later of animals generally and then other things, but rarely human persons. (The plural in this sense is unchanged.) In (British) use (as ''plural''), this is a particularly common reference to game birds. ¹

9. Noun. A piece of material used to transmit, or change the direction of, weight or pressure; any one of the pieces, in a frame or truss, which divide the structure into triangular parts. It may act as a tie, or as a strut, and serves to prevent distortion of the structure, and transverse strains in its members. A boiler brace is a diagonal stay, connecting the head with the shell. ¹

10. Noun. (nautical) A rope reeved through a block at the end of a yard, by which the yard is moved horizontally; also, a rudder gudgeon. ¹

11. Noun. The mouth of a shaft. ¹

12. Noun. (usually plural) Straps or bands to sustain trousers; suspenders. ¹

13. Noun. (usually plural) A system of wires, brackets, and elastic bands used to correct crooked teeth or to reduce overbite. ¹

14. Noun. (soccer) Two goals scored by one player in a game. ¹

15. Verb. To prepare for something bad, as an impact or blow. ''All hands, brace for impact!'' ¹

16. Verb. (nautical) To swing round the yards of a square rigged ship, using braces, to present a more efficient sail surface to the direction of the wind ¹

17. Verb. To stop someone for questioning, usually said of police ¹

18. Verb. To confront with questions, demands or requests ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Brace

1. to support [v BRACED, BRACING, BRACES] - See also: support

Medical Definition of Brace

1. 1. To furnish with braces; to support; to prop; as, to brace a beam in a building. 2. To draw tight; to tighten; to put in a state of tension; to strain; to strengthen; as, to brace the nerves. "And welcome war to brace her drums." (Campbell) 3. To bind or tie closely; to fasten tightly. "The women of China, by bracing and binding them from their infancy, have very little feet." (Locke) "Some who spurs had first braced on." (Sir W. Scott) 4. To place in a position for resisting pressure; to hold firmly; as, he braced himself against the crowd. "A sturdy lance in his right hand he braced." (Fairfax) 5. To move around by means of braces; as, to brace the yards. To brace about, to turn (a yard) by hauling in the weather brace. To brace one's self, to call up one's energies. "He braced himself for an effort which he was little able to make." - To brace to, to turn (a yard) as far forward as the rigging will permit. Origin: Braced; Bracing. 1. That which holds anything tightly or supports it firmly; a bandage or a prop. 2. A cord, ligament, or rod, for producing or maintaining tension, as a cord on the side of a drum. "The little bones of the ear drum do in straining and relaxing it as the braces of the war drum do in that." (Derham) 3. The state of being braced or tight; tension. "The laxness of the tympanum, when it has lost its brace or tension." (Holder) 4. A piece of material used to transmit, or change the direction of, weight or pressure; any one of the pieces, in a frame or truss, which divide the structure into triangular parts. It may act as a tie, or as a strut, and serves to prevent distortion of the structure, and transverse strains in its members. A boiler brace is a diagonal stay, connecting the head with the shell. 5. A vertical curved line connecting two or more words or lines, which are to be taken together; thus, boll, bowl; or, in music, used to connect staves. 6. A rope reeved through a block at the end of a yard, by which the yard is moved horizontally; also, a rudder gudgeon. 7. A curved instrument or handle of iron or wood, for holding and turning bits, etc.; a bitstock. 8. A pair; a couple; as, a brace of ducks; now rarely applied to persons, except familiarly or with some contempt. "A brace of greyhounds." "He is said to have shot . . . Fifty brace of pheasants." (Addison) "A brace of brethren, both bishops, both eminent for learning and religion, now appeared in the church." (Fuller) "But you, my brace of lords." (Shak) 9. Straps or bands to sustain trousers; suspenders. "I embroidered for you a beautiful pair of braces." (Thackeray) 10. Harness; warlike preparation. "For that it stands not in such warlike brace." (Shak) 11. Armor for the arm; vantbrace. 12. The mouth of a shaft. Angle brace. See Angle. Origin: OF. Brace, brasse, the two arms, embrace, fathom, F. Brasse fathom, fr. L. Bracchia the arms (stretched out), pl. Of bracchium arm; cf. Gr. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Brace

braaing braais braaivleis brabantite brabble brabbled brabblement brabblements brabbler brabblers

brabbles brabbling braccate braccia braccio brace (current term) brace aback brace about brace abox brace and bit

brace by brace in brace of shakes brace oneself for brace sharp brace up brace wrench braced bracelet cortinar

Literary usage of Brace

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. A Dictionary of Architecture and Building, Biographical, Historical, and by Russell Sturgis (1901)
"brace. A piece or member, generally long as compared to its lateral dimensions, ... If the rigid diagonal brace bd is introduced and firmly attach«!, ..."

2. United States Supreme Court Reports by Lawyers Co-operative Publishing Company, United States Supreme Court (1889)
"Tbe combination, with the draw-bar С and scraper A, of the diagonal brace E, as »nd for the purpose set forth." But it was stipulated that the complainant ..."

3. The Scottish Nation: Or, The Surnames, Families, Literature, Honours, and by William Anderson (1877)
"Robert brace, great-grandson of this Archibald, was father of David brace, from whom the family of Kennet are descended, one of whom, Robert, ..."

4. Organ Registration: A Comprehensive Treatise on the Distinctive Quality of by Everett Ellsworth Truette (1919)
"After this repeat, at the first measure of the second brace, add the Open Diapason. At the rest in the first measure of the lower brace, close the swell. ..."

Other Resources: