brace

[ breys ]

/ breɪs /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR brace 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 7).

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.

Idioms for brace

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

Origin of brace

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

SYNONYMS FOR brace

1 vise.

4 stay, prop, strut.

10 See pair.

15 support, fortify, prop.

17 tauten, tense.

18 fortify.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR brace ON THESAURUS.COM

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, noun un·der·brace, verb (used with object), un·der·braced, un·der·brac·ing.

well-braced, adjective

Words nearby brace

brabançon, brabble, brabham, braccate, braccio, brace, brace and bit, brace jack, brace molding, brace root, brace table

Definition for braces (2 of 2)

suspender

[ suh-spen-der ]

/ səˈspɛn dər /

noun

Usually suspenders. Also called, especially British, braces. adjustable straps or bands worn over the shoulders with the ends buttoned or clipped to the waistband of a pair of trousers or a skirt to support it.

British. garter.

a hanging cable or chain in a suspension bridge connecting the deck with the suspension cable or chain.

a person or thing that suspends.

Origin of suspender

1515–25; 1800–10, Americanism for def 1; suspend + -er¹

OTHER WORDS FROM suspender

sus·pend·er·less, adjective

Example sentences from the Web for braces

I had just gotten my braces off and was learning how to tame my hair with a curling iron.

Apps and Online Programs Offer New Ways to Report Street Harassment |Tessa Miller |April 2, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Film it on film, no makeup, get the inhaler and the braces in there.

Shailene Woodley Opens Up About Coming of Age, ‘Divergent,’ and the Faults in Our World |Marlow Stern |January 22, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The Nozzle-man opens the mouth of the hose, releasing its stream while the Backup-man braces the weight.

The Marine and His Cousin the Firefighter |Maurice Emerson Decaul |September 11, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
Braces of pastel green parrots nest in the 10-story jungle canopy.

Is Rafael Correa the Next Hugo Chavez? |Mac Margolis |August 22, 2013 |DAILY BEAST

Be on the lookout for older athletes with braces on their lower teeth.

Is HGH, Allegedly Alex Rodriguez’s Drug of Choice, Really So Bad? |Kent Sepkowitz |August 1, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
Secure the yard by the iron trusses, and haul taut lifts and braces.

The Seaman's Friend |Richard Henry Dana
The appendage attached by pintles and braces to the stern-post of a vessel, by which its course through the water is governed.

The Sailor's Word-Book |William Henry Smyth
More posts or braces may be needed to support the extra weight.

In Time Of Emergency |Department of Defense
It has been lately employed very extensively for making elastic bands or braces.

A Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures and Mines |Andrew Ure
When I reached the railing I climbed over, and, with the help of braces and posts, soon got to where I could drop down.

The Young Forester |Zane Grey

British Dictionary definitions for braces (1 of 3)

braces

/ (ˈbreɪsɪz) /

pl n

British a pair of straps worn over the shoulders by men for holding up the trousers US and Canadian word: suspenders

British Dictionary definitions for braces (2 of 3)

suspender

/ (səˈspɛndə) /

noun

(often plural) British

an elastic strap attached to a belt or corset having a fastener at the end, for holding up women's stockings
a similar fastener attached to a garter worn by men in order to support socksUS and Canadian equivalent: garter

(plural) US and Canadian a pair of straps worn over the shoulders by men for holding up the trousers Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): braces

a person or thing that suspends, such as one of the vertical cables that carries the deck in a suspension bridge

British Dictionary definitions for braces (3 of 3)

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 turned In 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 birds a 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; invigorate sea 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

Medical definitions for braces

brace

[ brās ]

n.

An orthopedic appliance that supports or holds a movable part of the body in correct position while allowing motion of the part.

Often braces A dental appliance, constructed of bands and wires that is fixed to the teeth to correct irregular alignment.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

brace

noun

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

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

Verb Phrases

Idioms for brace

Origin of brace

SYNONYMS FOR brace

OTHER WORDS FROM brace

Words nearby brace

Definition for braces (2 of 2)

noun

Origin of suspender

OTHER WORDS FROM suspender

Example sentences from the Web for braces

British Dictionary definitions for braces (1 of 3)

pl n

British Dictionary definitions for braces (2 of 3)

noun

British Dictionary definitions for braces (3 of 3)

noun

verb (mainly tr)

Word Origin for brace

Medical definitions for braces

n.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

brace

noun

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

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

Verb Phrases

Idioms for brace

Origin of brace

SYNONYMS FOR brace

OTHER WORDS FROM brace

Words nearby brace

Definition for braces (2 of 2)

noun

Origin of suspender

OTHER WORDS FROM suspender

Words related to braces

Example sentences from the Web for braces

British Dictionary definitions for braces (1 of 3)

pl n

British Dictionary definitions for braces (2 of 3)

noun

British Dictionary definitions for braces (3 of 3)

noun

verb (mainly tr)

Word Origin for brace

Medical definitions for braces

n.