Dictionary Definition
brace
Noun
1 a support that steadies or strengthens
something else; "he wore a brace on his knee"
2 two items of the same kind [syn: couple, pair, twosome, twain, span, yoke, couplet, distich, duo, duet, dyad, duad]
3 a set of two similar things considered as a
unit [syn: pair]
4 either of two punctuation marks ( or ) used to enclose
textual material
5 a rope on a square-rigged ship that is used to
swing a yard about and secure it
7 an appliance that corrects dental
irregularities [syn: braces]
8 the stock of a tool used for turning a drilling
bit [syn: bitstock]
9 a structural member used to stiffen a framework
[syn: bracing]
Verb
1 prepare (oneself) for something unpleasant or
difficult [syn: poise]
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" [syn: steady, stabilize, stabilise]
3 support by bracing
4 cause to be alert and energetic; "Coffee and
tea stimulate me"; "This herbal infusion doesn't stimulate" [syn:
stimulate, arouse, energize, energise, perk up] [ant:
de-energize,
de-energize,
sedate]
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Pronunciation
-
- Rhymes: -eɪs
Noun
- That which holds anything tightly or supports it firmly; a bandage or a prop.
- A cord, ligament, or rod, for producing or maintaining tension, as a cord on the side of a drum.
- The state of being braced or tight; tension.
- A piece of material used to transmit, or change the direction of, weight or pressure; any one of the pieces, in a frame or truss, which divide the structure into triangular parts. It may act as a tie, or as a strut, and serves to prevent distortion of the structure, and transverse strains in its members. A boiler brace is a diagonal stay, connecting the head with the shell.
- A vertical curved line ('') connecting two or more words or lines, which are to be taken together; thus, boll, bowl; or, in music, used to connect staves.
- A rope reeved through a block at the end of a yard, by which the yard is moved horizontally; also, a rudder gudgeon.
- A curved instrument or handle of iron or wood, for holding and turning bits, etc.; a bitstock.
- A pair; a couple; as, a brace of ducks; now rarely applied to persons, except familiarly or with some contempt.
- Harness; warlike preparation.
- Armor for the arm; vambrace.
- The mouth of a shaft.
- (usually plural) Straps or bands to sustain trousers; suspenders.
- (usually plural) A system of wires, brackets, and elastic bands used to correct crooked teeth.
Translations
that which holds tightly
- Finnish: side
arrangement for producing tension
- Finnish: kiristin
vertical curved line
- Czech: složená závorka
- German: geschweifte Klammer
rope for moving a yard
bitstock
- French: chignole , vilebrequin
- Spanish: berbiquí
harness
- Finnish: valjaat (pl)
suspenders
- Finnish: olkaimet (pl), henkselit (pl)
- German: Hosenträger f|p
system to correct crooked teeth
- Finnish: hammasraudat (pl)
- German: Zahnspange
- Spanish: frenillo , frenos (pl)
Verb
- To prepare for something bad, as an impact or blow. All hands, brace for impact!
- To swing round the yards of a square rigged ship, using braces, to present a more efficient sail surface to the direction of the wind
- To stop someone for questioning, usually said of police
- To confront with questions, demands or requests
Translations
to prepare oneself for an impact
- Finnish: valmistautua törmäykseen (1)
to swing round the yards
Related terms
Italian
Noun
brace pExtensive Definition
Brace may refer to:
Medical
- Brace (orthopaedic), a device used to restrict or assist body movement
- Back
brace, a device limiting motion of the spine
- Milwaukee brace, a kind of back brace used in the treatment of spinal curvatures
- Cervical collar, also called a neck brace, used to restrict neck movement
- Dental braces, a device used to reposition teeth
Sport
- Brace (cricket), a term in the sport of cricket
- Braces (sailing), lines found on some ships
- Bracer, a strap or sheath used in archery
Construction and industrial arts
- Brace (tool), a hand tool
- Brace (theatre), a stabilizer for a piece of scenery
- A reinforcement used in architecture, such as in timber framing
People with the surname Brace
- Charles Loring Brace (1826-1890), a contributing philanthropist in the field of social reform
- Jonathan Brace (1754-1837), a United States Representative from Connecticut
- Julia Brace (1807-1884), a deaf and blind woman who learned tactile American Sign Language
- Rick Brace, the current president of the CTV television network, a unit of CTVglobemedia
- William Brace (1865 - 1947), a member of British Parliament and Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department
Other meanings
- Brace position, a body stance used to prepare for a crash
- Bracket, the symbols, also called curly braces
- Curly bracket programming language, a programming language that uses curly braces
- Military brace, a body posture primarily used in military schools
- Suspenders, elastic fabric straps used to support trousers
- Straps found on some types of carriages
- A notation used to join two or more musical staffs
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
Ace bandage, Band-Aid, adhesive tape, advocate, afford support,
alpenstock, animate, appeal, application, arm, athletic supporter, back, back up, backbone, backing, band, bandage, bandaging, bandeau, bar, bar line, bear, bear up, bearer, beef up, belt, bend, beseech, bind, bind up, binder, bolster, bolster up, both, bra, brace up, bracer, bracket, brassiere, brisk, brisken, buck up, buckle, bundle, buoy up, buttress, cane, carrier, carry, case harden, cast, cataplasm, catch, cervix, chain, cheer, chirk up, cinch, clamp, clasp, clip, column, compress, confirm, corset, cotton, couple, couplet, coupling, court plaster,
cradle, cravat, crave, crook, crutch, cushion, degree, distich, do up, double harness,
doublet, dressing, drill, duad, duet, duo, dyad, elastic bandage, enliven, entreat, epithem, exhilarate, fastener, fortify, foundation garment,
four-tailed bandage, fresh up, freshen, freshen up, fulcrum, gallows, galluses, gauze, gird, girdle, girt, girth, give support, guy, guywire, hang on, harden, hold, hold on, hold up, holdfast, implore, importune, invigorate, jock, jockstrap, keep afloat, keep
up, lace, lash, leash, ledger line, lend support,
line, lint, mainstay, maintain, maintainer, mast, match, mates, neck, nerve, pair, perk up, pick up, pillow, plaster, plaster cast, plead, pledget, poultice, pray, prop, prop up, quicken, reanimate, recreate, refresh, refreshen, regale, reinforce, reinforcement, reinforcer, reinvigorate, renew, rest, resting place, restrengthen, revive, revivify, rigging, rigidify, roller, roller bandage, rope, rubber bandage, screw up, set
of two, set up, shore,
shore up, shoulder,
shroud, sling, space, span, spine, splice, splint, sponge, sprit, staff, standing rigging, stave, stay, steady, steel, stick, stiffen, stiffener, stimulate, strap, strengthen, strengthener, strut, stupe, subsidize, subvention, supplicate, support, supporter, sustain, sustainer, swaddle, swathe, tampon, tape, team, temper, tense, tent, the two, tie, tie up, tighten, toughen, tourniquet, triangular
bandage, trice up, truss,
twain, two, twosome, underbrace, undergird, underlie, underpin, underpinning, underset, upbear, uphold, upholder, upkeep, vivify, walking stick, wire, wrap, wrap up, yoke