Definition of "brace"

brace

/bɹeɪs/

noun
plural braces
1. (obsolete) Armor for the arm; vambrace.
2. (obsolete) A measurement of length, originally representing a person's outstretched arms.
3. A curved instrument or handle of iron or wood, for holding and turning bits, etc.; a bitstock.
4. That which holds anything tightly or supports it firmly; a bandage or a prop.
5. A cord, ligament, or rod, for producing or maintaining tension.
6. A thong used to regulate the tension of a drum.
  Quotations
  The little bones of the ear drum do in straining and relaxing it as the braces of the war drum do in that.
  1713, W[illiam] Derham, Physico-Theology: Or, A Demonstration of the Being and Attributes of God, from His Works of Creation. […], London: […] W[illiam] Innys, […]
7. The state of being braced or tight; tension.
  Quotations
  And I am of opinion, that the moſt frequent cauſe of Deafneſs is to be attributed to the Laxneſs of the Tympanum, vvhen it has loſt its Brace or Tenſion by ſome irregularity in the Figure of thoſe Bones, or defect in that Muſcle: […]
  1669, William Holder, Elements of Speech: An Essay of Inquiry into the Natural Production of Letters: […], London: […] T. N[ewcomb] for J[ohn] Martyn printer to the R[oyal] Society, […], page 113
8. Harness; warlike preparation.
  Quotations
  for that it stands not in such warlike brace
  c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act I, scene iii]
9. (typography) A curved, pointed line, also known as "curly bracket": { or } connecting two or more words or lines, which are to be considered together, such as in {role, roll}; in music, used to connect staves.
10. A pair, a couple; originally used of dogs, and later of animals generally (e.g., a brace of conies) and then other things, but rarely human persons. (The plural in this sense is unchanged.) In British use (as plural), this is a particularly common reference to game birds.
  Quotations
  But you, my brace of lords, were I so minded, / I here could pluck his highness' frown upon you, / And justify you traitors
  1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act V, scene i]
  A brace of brethren, both bishops, both eminent for learning and religion, now appeared in the churchThe spelling has been modernized.
  1655, Thomas Fuller, edited by James Nichols, The Church History of Britain, […], new edition, volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] [James Nichols] for Thomas Tegg and Son, […], published 1837
  He is said to have shot […] fifty brace of pheasants.
  1716 May 4 (Gregorian calendar), Joseph Addison, “The Free-holder: No. 36. Monday, April 23. ”, in The Works of the Right Honourable Joseph Addison, Esq; […], volume IV, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], published 1721
  "Are you a prime shot?'" said Richard. / Ripton nodded knowingly, and answered, "Pretty good." / "Then ww'll have a dozen brase apiece today," said Richard.
  1859, George Meredith, chapter V, in The Ordeal of Richard Feverel. A History of Father and Son. […], volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Chapman and Hall
  There were four of us, my friend the captain, myself, an old sportsman from Sognedale, called Peter Sandaker, and a smart boy, who had charge of two brace of hounds.
  1881, P. Chr. Asbjörnsen [i.e., Peter Christen Asbjørnsen], translated by H. L. Brækstad, Round the Yule Log. Norwegian Folk and Fairy Tales, London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington, page 68
11. 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.
12. (nautical) A rope reeved through a block at the end of a yard, by which the yard is moved horizontally; also, a rudder gudgeon.
13. (Britain, Cornwall, mining) The mouth of a shaft.
14. (Britain, chiefly in the plural) Straps or bands to sustain trousers; suspenders.
15. (plural in North America, singular or plural in the UK) A system of wires, brackets, and elastic bands used to correct crooked teeth or to reduce overbite.
16. (soccer) Two goals scored by one player in a game.
  Quotations
  The Manchester United midfielder’s late brace against Cyprus at the weekend was welcome, but will become no more than a footnote of his Scotland career. His brace here to down the mighty Spanish will go down in history.
  28 March 2023, Graeme McGarry, “Scott McTominay earns place in history as Scotland stun Spain”, in The Herald‎
  To score a 'brace' means that you have scored two goals in a game.
  2020 October 23, “What is a brace in soccer?”, in Goal‎
verb
third-person singular simple present braces, present participle bracing, simple past and past participle braced
1. (transitive, intransitive) To prepare for something bad, such as an impact or blow.
  Quotations
  Bradford would have been braced for an early assault from Villa as they tried to cut the deficit - and so it proved as they struggled to control the physical presence and aerial threat of Benteke, who headed straight at Bradford keeper Matt Duke when he should have done better.
  2013 January 22, Phil McNulty, “Aston Villa 2-1 Bradford (3-4)”, in BBC‎
2. To place in a position for resisting pressure; to hold firmly.
  Quotations
  A sturdy lance in his right hand he braced.
  1845, Edward Fairfax (tr.), Godfrey of Bulloigne; or, The Recovery of Jerusalem: Done into English Heroical Verse
3. (nautical) 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.
4. To stop someone for questioning, usually said of police.
5. To confront with questions, demands or requests.
  Quotations
  Just about then the young kid who had braced us when we came in uttered a curse and made for the door.
  1980, Stephen King, The Wedding Gig
  “Constable Fancy’s collecting evidence from his flat while Morse and me brace Valdemar.”
  2018 February 11, Colin Dexter, Russell Lewis, 58:13 from the start, in Endeavour(Cartouche), season 5, episode 2 (TV series), spoken by DCI Fred Thursday (Roger Allam)
6. To furnish with braces; to support; to prop.
7. To draw tight; to tighten; to put in a state of tension; to strain; to strengthen.
  Quotations
  And welcome war to brace her drums.
  1825, Thomas Campbell, Hallowed Ground
8. To bind or tie closely; to fasten tightly.
  Quotations
  The women of China […] , by bracing and binding them [their feet] from their infancy, have very little feet.
  1693, [John Locke], “§12”, in Some Thoughts Concerning Education, London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […]
  some who spurs had first braced on
  1815, Walter Scott, Lord of the Isles

Definition of "brace"

brace

noun

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