brace

[ breys ]

/ breɪs /

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See synonyms for: brace / braced / braces / bracing on Thesaurus.com

noun

something that holds parts together or in place, as a clasp or clamp.

anything that imparts rigidity or steadiness.

Also called bitbrace, bitstock. Machinery. a device for holding and turning a bit for boring or drilling.

Building Trades. a piece of timber, metal, etc., for supporting or positioning another piece or portion of a framework.

Nautical. (on a square-rigged ship) a rope by which a yard is swung about and secured horizontally.

Music. leather loops sliding upon the tightening cords of a drum to change their tension and the drum's pitch.

Often braces. Dentistry. a round or flat metal wire placed against the surfaces of the teeth for straightening irregularly arranged teeth.

Medicine/Medical. an appliance for supporting a weak joint or joints.

braces, Chiefly British. suspender (def. 1).

a pair; couple: a brace of grouse.

Printing.

one of two characters { or } used to enclose words or lines to be considered together.
bracket (def. 8).

Music. connected staves.

a protective band covering the wrist or lower part of the arm, especially a bracer.

Military. a position of attention with exaggeratedly stiff posture.

verb (used with object), braced, brac·ing.

to furnish, fasten, or strengthen with or as if with a brace.

to fix firmly; make steady; secure against pressure or impact: He braces himself when the ship rolls. Brace yourself for some bad news.

to make tight; increase the tension of.

to act as a stimulant to.

Nautical. to swing or turn around (the yards of a ship) by means of the braces.

Military. to order (a subordinate) to assume and maintain a brace.

verb (used without object), braced, brac·ing.

Military. to assume a brace.

Verb Phrases

brace in, Nautical. to brace (the yards of a square-rigged vessel) more nearly athwartships, as for running free.

OTHER WORDS FOR brace

1 vise.

4 stay, prop, strut.

15 support, fortify, prop.

17 tauten, tense.

18 fortify.

See synonyms for brace on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

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There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about brace

brace up, Informal. to summon up one's courage; become resolute: She choked back her tears and braced up.

Origin of brace

First recorded in 1300–50; (noun) Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French: “pair of arms,” from Latin brā(c)chia plural (taken as feminine singular) of brā(c)chium “arm” (from Greek; see brachium); (verb) in part Middle English bracen (from Anglo-French bracier, derivative of brace;cf. embrace¹), in participle derivative of the noun

synonym study for brace

10. See pair.

OTHER WORDS FROM brace

o·ver·brace, verb (used with object), o·ver·braced, o·ver·brac·ing.re·brace, verb (used with object), re·braced, re·brac·ing.un·der·brace, nounun·der·brace, verb (used with object), un·der·braced, un·der·brac·ing.

well-braced, adjective

Words nearby brace

brabble, Brabham, bra burner, braccate, braccio, brace, brace and bit, braced arch, braced frame, brace jack, bracelet

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use brace in a sentence

He doesn’t have nerve function, which is why he has foot drop and has to wear a brace to help him overcome it.
Alex Smith and Antonio Gibson don’t practice, could miss Washington’s game vs. Seattle|Nicki Jhabvala|December 16, 2020|Washington Post
Called the Elevate, it looks a little like an elaborate knee brace, with an articulating frame and pneumatic air chambers that function like shock absorbers.
A Brief Excursion into Skiing's Cyborg Future|Nick Heil|December 16, 2020|Outside Online
It comes with seven tips, including three regular ones, a toothbrush tip, a plaque-seeking tip, one tip for people with braces, and one for those with gum disease.
Water flossers that get between your teeth|PopSci Commerce Team|August 27, 2020|Popular-Science
At one point, I got myself a knee brace and I used to wear that.
How CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin Would Close the Wealth Gap|Eromo Egbejule|August 26, 2020|Ozy

The grand experiment that sent knowledge workers home to toil from their bedrooms and living rooms is moving into a new phase, as the world waits for an effective vaccine and braces for expected waves of widespread outbreaks.
Four questions to ask before going back to the office|Lila MacLellan|August 9, 2020|Quartz
“We got here hours ago,” says a man with a foot brace who's given up his spot in the amorphous line to sit on a folding chair.
Beyonce, Jay Z & No Doubt Sing to End Global Poverty in Central Park|Caitlin Dickson|September 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In all likelihood, Democrats should brace for an ugly election night.
Biggest Midterm Issue? The Obamaphant in the Living Room|Dean Obeidallah|September 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So, I conveyed this to Tom and we invited Tom over to our house for dinner and said, “Brace yourself.”
From ‘Lost’ to The Rapture: Creators Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta on HBO’s ‘The Leftovers’|Marlow Stern|June 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At that point, Australians—not to mention environmentalists and tourists—better brace themselves.
Australia Wants to Open the Great Barrier Reef to Dumping|Kirsten Alexander|June 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Kimye Heads Back to Vogue: Brace yourselves for the aftershock.
Anna Wintour Hosts DNC Fundraiser; Kimye Heads Back to 'Vogue'|The Fashion Beast Team|May 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Edwin had to brace himself again, for an assault upon the fastness of the stationmaster.
Hilda Lessways|Arnold Bennett
It was the only thing I needed to snap my last tie with England and brace me for the struggle in America.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
So he waved him gracefully to the table, where a brace of flagons stood amid the steaming viands.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
At first they mounted them upon a wooden frame and rested one end on the shoulder for a brace.
The Wonder Book of Knowledge|Various
The House was relieved to hear from Mr. Brace that there was no immediate danger of this contingency.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 152, May 16, 1917.|Various

British Dictionary definitions for brace

brace

/ (breɪs) /

noun

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 turnedIn full: hand brace See also brace and bit

something that steadies, binds, or holds up another thing

a structural member, such as a beam or prop, used to stiffen a framework

a sliding loop, usually of leather, attached to the cords of a drum: used to change its tension

a pair; two, esp of game birdsa brace of partridges

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

Also called: accolade a line or bracket connecting two or more staves of music

(often plural) an appliance of metal bands and wires that can be tightened to maintain steady pressure on the teeth for correcting uneven alignment

med any of various appliances for supporting the trunk, a limb, or teeth

another word for bracer 2

(in square-rigged sailing ships) a rope that controls the movement of a yard and thus the position of a sail

See braces

verb (mainly tr)

to provide, strengthen, or fit with a brace

to steady or prepare (oneself or something) as before an impact

(also intr) to stimulate; freshen; invigoratesea air is bracing

to control the horizontal movement of (the yards of a square-rigged sailing ship)

Word Origin for brace

C14: from Old French: the two arms, from Latin bracchia arms

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

brace

OTHER WORDS FOR brace

Idioms about brace

Origin of brace

synonym study for brace

OTHER WORDS FROM brace

Words nearby brace

Words related to brace

How to use brace in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for brace

Word Origin for brace