braces
Americanplural noun
Explanation
Braces are put on your teeth to help straighten them. Braces are most often seen on kids between the ages of nine and fourteen, but every once in a while you might find an adult with them too! Braces are orthodontic devices that date back to ancient times. Some Egyptian mummies have been discovered with makeshift ones. Modern-day braces work by applying gentle pressure to shift teeth into their desired positions using wires, brackets, and colorful rubber bands. While a journey with braces involves some discomfort and tooth sensitivity, the end result is often a wonderfully aligned set of teeth that can boost both oral health and confidence.
Vocabulary lists containing braces
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Other common treatments for knee osteoarthritis include strengthening the thigh muscles, using knee braces, taking anti-inflammatory medications, getting cortisone and other injections, and sometimes having knee replacement surgery."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026
The wrist braces resemble the kind sold at a drugstore to help with tendon pain, the only difference being each comes equipped with a 7-pound weight at the end.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
It would have been "very obvious" she was a teenager, she says, explaining that she was very short and wore braces on her teeth at the time.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
Amber and yellow heat-health alerts have come into effect across England as the United Kingdom braces for one of the longest-lasting heatwaves since 1976.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
Then he takes two steps forward and braces his hands on the edges of Ainsley’s desk.
From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
