1
a support that steadies or strengthens something else
"he wore a brace on his knee"
2
two items of the same kind
"She carefully packed a brace of silver spoons into the drawer before leaving for dinner."
3
a set of two similar things considered as a unit
"The new stadium features a grand pair of bronze lions serving as its main entrance braces."
4
either of two punctuation marks ({ or }) used to enclose textual material
"The programmer added braces around the conditional statement to ensure the code executed correctly only when the condition was true."
5
a rope on a square-rigged ship that is used to swing a yard about and secure it
"The crew quickly adjusted the brace to tighten the sail against the rising wind."
6
elastic straps that hold trousers up (usually used in the plural)
"After my new pants felt too loose, I decided to buy a pair of braces to keep them securely in place all day."
7
an appliance that corrects dental irregularities
"After years of crooked teeth, my daughter finally got her braces installed to fix her smile."
8
a carpenter's tool having a crank handle for turning and a socket to hold a bit for boring
"The apprentice asked the master to hand him the brace so he could drill the pilot holes in the new wooden frame."
9
a structural member used to stiffen a framework
"The carpenter installed steel braces in the roof truss to prevent it from collapsing under the heavy snow load."
10
Armor for the arm; vambrace.
"The knight tightened his leather brace before charging into battle to protect his forearm from glancing blows."
1
prepare (oneself) for something unpleasant or difficult
"She took a deep breath to brace herself before delivering the bad news to her boss."
2
support or hold steady and make steadfast, with or as if with a brace
"brace your elbows while working on the potter's wheel"
3
support by bracing
"The young gymnast planted her feet firmly to brace herself before launching into a split leap."
4
cause to be alert and energetic
"Coffee and tea stimulate me"
"This herbal infusion doesn't stimulate"
5
To prepare for something bad, such as an impact or blow.
"She braced herself against the steering wheel just before the car skidded on the icy road."
1
A surname, from Old French.
"The local history club is organizing a lecture on Mr. Brace, whose family has lived in that village for over three centuries."
Example Sentences
"he wore a brace on his knee"
noun
"brace your elbows while working on the potter's wheel"
verb
"Coffee and tea stimulate me"
verb
"This herbal infusion doesn't stimulate"
verb
Related Terms
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
Narrower Terms (hyponyms)