brace (br s)
n.
1. A device that holds or fastens two or more parts together or in place; a clamp.
2. A device, such as a supporting beam in a building or a connecting wire or rope, that steadies or holds something else erect.
3. braces Chiefly British Suspenders.
4. An orthopedic appliance used to support, align, or hold a bodily part in the correct position.
5. A dental appliance constructed of bands and wires that is fixed to the teeth to correct irregular alignment. Often used in the plural.
6. An extremely stiff, erect posture.
7. A cause or source of renewed physical or spiritual vigor.
8. A protective pad strapped to the bow arm of an archer.
9. Nautical A rope by which a yard is swung and secured on a square-rigged ship.
10. A cranklike handle with an adjustable aperture at one end for securing and turning a bit.
11. Music A leather loop that slides to change the tension on the cord of a drum.
12. Music
a. A vertical line, usually accompanied by the symbol {, connecting two or more staffs.
b. A set of staffs connected in this way.
13. A symbol, { or }, enclosing two or more lines of text or listed items to show that they are considered as a unit.
14. Mathematics Either of a pair of symbols, { }, used to indicate aggregation or to clarify the grouping of quantities when parentheses and square brackets have already been used. Also calledbracket.
15. pl. brace A pair of like things: three brace of partridges.
v. braced, brac·ing, brac·es
v.tr.
1. To furnish with a brace.
2. To support or hold steady with or as if with a brace; reinforce.
3. To prepare or position so as to be ready for impact or danger: Union members braced themselves for a confrontation with management.
4. To confront with questions or requests.
5. To increase the tension of.
6. To invigorate; stimulate: "The freshness of the September morning inspired and braced him" (Thomas Hardy).
7. Nautical To turn (the yards of a ship) by the braces.
v.intr.
Phrasal Verb:
To get ready; make preparations.
brace up
To summon one's strength or endurance.
[Middle English, from Old French, the two arms, from Vulgar Latin *bracia, from Latin br
cchia, pl. of brcchium, arm, from Greek brakh  n, upper arm; see mregh-u- in Indo-European roots. V., partly from Old French bracier, from Old French brace, the two arms.] |  
brace and drill bit
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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
brace [breɪs]
n
1. (Engineering / Mechanical Engineering) In full hand brace a hand tool for drilling holes, with a socket to hold the drill at one end and a cranked handle by which the tool can be turned See also brace and bit
2. something that steadies, binds, or holds up another thing
3. (Miscellaneous Technologies / Building) a structural member, such as a beam or prop, used to stiffen a framework
4. (Music / Instruments) a sliding loop, usually of leather, attached to the cords of a drum: used to change its tension
5. a pair; two, esp of game birds a brace of partridges
6. (Communication Arts / Printing, Lithography & Bookbinding) either of a pair of characters, { }, used for connecting lines of printing or writing or as a third sign of aggregation in complex mathematical or logical expressions that already contain parentheses and square brackets
7. (Music / Classical Music) Also called accolade a line or bracket connecting two or more staves of music
8. (Medicine / Dentistry) (often plural) an appliance of metal bands and wires that can be tightened to maintain steady pressure on the teeth for correcting uneven alignment
9. (Medicine) Med any of various appliances for supporting the trunk, a limb, or teeth
10. (Individual Sports & Recreations / Archery) another word for bracer2
11. (Transport / Nautical Terms) (in square-rigged sailing ships) a rope that controls the movement of a yard and thus the position of a sail
12. (Clothing & Fashion) See braces
vb (mainly tr)
1. to provide, strengthen, or fit with a brace
2. to steady or prepare (oneself or something) as before an impact
3. (also intr) to stimulate; freshen; invigorate sea air is bracing
4. (Transport / Nautical Terms) to control the horizontal movement of (the yards of a square-rigged sailing ship)
[from Old French: the two arms, from Latin bracchia arms]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
brace (breɪs)
n., v. braced, brac•ing. n.
1. something that holds parts together or in place, as a clasp or clamp.
2. anything that imparts rigidity or steadiness.
3. a device for holding and turning a bit for boring or drilling; bitstock.
4. a piece of timber, metal, etc., for supporting or positioning another part of a framework.
5. (on a square-rigged ship) a rope by which a yard is swung about and secured horizontally.
6. Usu., braces. an oral appliance consisting generally of wires or bands, used to correct misalignment of the teeth and jaws by exerting pressure on the teeth and their supporting structures.
7. an orthopedic appliance for supporting a weak joint or joints.
8. braces, Chiefly Brit. suspender (def. 1).
9. a pair; couple: a brace of grouse.
10.
a. one of two characters {or} used to enclose words or lines to be considered together.
11. a printed brace connecting musical staves.
12. a protective band for the wrist or lower arm, esp. a bracer.
13. Mil. a position of attention with exaggeratedly stiff posture.
v.t.
14. to furnish, fasten, or strengthen with or as if with a brace.
15. to steady (oneself), as against a shock.
16. to make tight; increase the tension of.
17. to act as a stimulant to.
18. to swing or turn around (the yards of a ship) by means of the braces.
19. brace up, Informal. to summon up one's courage; become resolute.
[1300–50; Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French: pair of arms < Latin brācchia, pl. of brācchium arm < Greek; see brachium]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
Brace a pair; a couple, originally of dogs, rarely used for people; a coat of armour. See also cast, yoke.
Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
Thesaurus Legend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  brace - a support that steadies or strengthens something else; "he wore a brace on his knee"
ankle brace - a brace worn to strengthen the ankle
back brace - a brace worn to support the back
knee brace - a brace worn to strengthen the knee
neck brace - a brace worn to steady the neck
skeg - a brace that extends from the rear of the keel to support the rudderpost
strengthener, reinforcement - a device designed to provide additional strength; "the cardboard backing was just a strengthener"; "he used gummed reinforcements to hold the page in his notebook"
support - any device that bears the weight of another thing; "there was no place to attach supports for a shelf"
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| 2. |  brace - two items of the same kind
fellow, mate - one of a pair; "he lost the mate to his shoe"; "one eye was blue but its fellow was brown"
2, II, two, deuce - the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
doubleton - (bridge) a pair of playing cards that are the only cards in their suit in the hand dealt to a player
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| 3. |  brace - a set of two similar things considered as a unit
Tweedledee and Tweedledum, Tweedledum and Tweedledee - any two people who are hard to tell apart
set - a group of things of the same kind that belong together and are so used; "a set of books"; "a set of golf clubs"; "a set of teeth"
| |
| 4. | brace - either of two punctuation marks ({ or }) used to enclose textual material
punctuation mark, punctuation - the marks used to clarify meaning by indicating separation of words into sentences and clauses and phrases
| |
| 5. | brace - a rope on a square-rigged ship that is used to swing a yard about and secure it
rope - a strong line
royal brace - a brace to secure the royal mast
| |
| 6. |  brace - elastic straps that hold trousers up (usually used in the plural)
man's clothing - clothing that is designed for men to wear
shoulder strap, strap - a band that goes over the shoulder and supports a garment or bag
plural, plural form - the form of a word that is used to denote more than one
| |
| 7. |  brace - an appliance that corrects dental irregularities
dental appliance - a device to repair teeth or replace missing teeth
| |
| 8. |  brace - a carpenter's tool having a crank handle for turning and a socket to hold a bit for boring
brace and bit - a drill consisting of a bit and a brace to hold and turn it
stock - the handle end of some implements or tools; "he grabbed the cue by the stock"
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| 9. |  brace - a structural member used to stiffen a framework
crosspiece - a transverse brace
framework - a structure supporting or containing something
gusset plate, gusset - a metal plate used to strengthen a joist
guy cable, guy rope, guy wire, guy - a cable, wire, or rope that is used to brace something (especially a tent)
stay - (nautical) brace consisting of a heavy rope or wire cable used as a support for a mast or spar
strengthener, reinforcement - a device designed to provide additional strength; "the cardboard backing was just a strengthener"; "he used gummed reinforcements to hold the page in his notebook"
stringer - brace consisting of a longitudinal member to strengthen a fuselage or hull
structural member - support that is a constituent part of any structure or building
strut - brace consisting of a bar or rod used to resist longitudinal compression
crosstie, railroad tie, sleeper, tie - one of the cross braces that support the rails on a railway track; "the British call a railroad tie a sleeper"
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| Verb | 1. | brace - prepare (oneself) for something unpleasant or difficult
gear up, prepare, ready, set, fix, set up - make ready or suitable or equip in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, etc; "Get the children ready for school!"; "prepare for war"; "I was fixing to leave town after I paid the hotel bill"
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| 2. | brace - support or hold steady and make steadfast, with or as if with a brace; "brace your elbows while working on the potter's wheel"
beef up, fortify, strengthen - make strong or stronger; "This exercise will strengthen your upper body"; "strengthen the relations between the two countries"
ballast - make steady with a ballast
guy - steady or support with a guy wire or cable; "The Italians guyed the Tower of Pisa to prevent it from collapsing"
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| 3. | brace - support by bracing
hold up, support, sustain, hold - be the physical support of; carry the weight of; "The beam holds up the roof"; "He supported me with one hand while I balanced on the beam"; "What's holding that mirror?"
tread - brace (an archer's bow) by pressing the foot against the center
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| 4. |  brace - cause to be alert and energetic; "Coffee and tea stimulate me"; "This herbal infusion doesn't stimulate"
affect - act physically on; have an effect upon; "the medicine affects my heart rate"
cathect - inject with libidinal energy
reanimate, recreate, revivify, vivify, revive, renovate, animate, quicken, repair - give new life or energy to; "A hot soup will revive me"; "This will renovate my spirits"; "This treatment repaired my health"
reinvigorate, invigorate - impart vigor, strength, or vitality to; "Exercise is invigorating"
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Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
brace
verb
noun
2. support, stay, prop, bracer, bolster, bracket, reinforcement, strut, truss, buttress, stanchion She wears a neck brace.
brace yourself prepare (yourself), get ready, make (yourself) ready, steel yourself, fortify yourself, gear yourself up, gird your loins He braced himself for the icy plunge into the black water.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Translations
brace (breis) noun
brace →
1. something that draws together and holds tightly. a brace to straighten teeth.
2. a pair usually of game-birds. a brace of pheasants.
verb
to make (often oneself) firm or steady. He braced himself for the struggle.
ˈbraces noun plural
(American suˈspenders) straps over the shoulders for holding up the trousers.
ˈbracing adjective
healthy. bracing sea air.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
brace →
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
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