Definition of "grace"

Study gives strength to the mind; conversation, grace: the first apt to give stiffness, the other suppleness: one gives substance and form to the statue, the other polishes it.

1699, William Temple, Heads designed for an essay on conversations‎

I have formerly given the general character of Mr. Addison's style and manner as natural and unaffected, easy and polite, and full of those graces which a flowery imagination diffuses over writing.

1783, Hugh Blair, “Critical Examniation of the Style of Mr. Addison in No. 411 of The Spectator”, in Lectures on Rhetoric and Belles Lettres

The Trill being the most usual Grace, is usually made in Closes, Cadences, and when on a long Note Exclamation or Passion is expressed, there the Trill is made in the latter part of such Note; but most usually upon binding Notes and such Notes as precede the closing Note.

1683, John Playford, An Introduction to the Skill of Musick: In Three Books, page 47

With mounting anger the King denounced the pair, both father and son, and was about to condemn them to death when his strength gave out. Faint and trembling he was unable to walk and the sword fell from his hands as he murmured: 'May the Protector of the Buddhist Faith grant me but seven more days grace of life to be quit of this disloyal couple, father and son'.

1990, Claude de Bèze, translated by E. W. Hutchinson, 1688 revolution in Siam: the memoir of Father de Bèze, s.j, University Press, page 153

When she sang in the kirk, folk have told me that they had a foretaste of the musick of the New Jerusalem, and when she came in by the village of Caulds old men stottered to their doors to look at her. Moreover, from her earliest days the bairn had some glimmerings of grace.

1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide

Great Jove and Phoebus graced his noble line.

c. 1699 – 1703, Alexander Pope, “The First Book of Statius His Thebais”, in The Works of Mr. Alexander Pope, volume I, London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintot, […], published 1717

We are graced with wreaths of victory.

1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act V, scene iii]

He might, at his pleasure, grace […] or disgrace whom he would in court.

1603, Richard Knolles, The Generall Historie of the Turkes, […], London: […] Adam Islip

Thy first publique miracle graceth a marriage

1612–1626, [Joseph Hall], “(please specify the page)”, in [Contemplations vpon the Principall Passages of the Holy Storie], volumes (please specify |volume=II, V, or VI), London

For D and E, the G and A fingers are generally used for gracing, though E is sometimes more conveniently graced by F#.

1987, L. E. McCullough, The Complete Irish Tin Whistle Tutor (New & Revised), page 22