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brace

verb
\ ˈbrās How to pronounce brace (audio) \
braced; bracing

Definition of brace

 (Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1 archaic : to fasten tightly : bind
2a : to prepare for use by making taut brace a drum
b : prepare, steel brace yourself for the shock
c : invigorate, freshen … I took the shower and it braced me up a bit.— Raymond Chandler
3 nautical : to turn (a sail yard) by means of a brace (see brace entry 2 sense 4b)
4a : to furnish or support with a brace (see brace entry 2 sense 4) heavily braced against the wind
b : to make stronger : reinforce nerves … braced by long familiarity with danger— T. B. Macaulay
5 : to put or plant firmly braces his foot in the stirrup
6 : to waylay especially with demands or questions : confront when braced, Willie had naturally denied his identity — Time

intransitive verb

1 : to take heart —used with up brace up and do something— Upton Sinclair
2 : to get ready (as for an attack) brace for the storm

brace

noun
plural braces

Definition of brace (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : something (such as a clasp) that connects or fastens
2 or plural brace : two of a kind : pair several brace of quail
3 : a crank-shaped instrument for turning a bit (see bit entry 1 sense 1a(2))
4 : something that transmits, directs, resists, or supports weight or pressure: such as
a : a diagonal piece of structural material that serves to strengthen something (such as a framework) walls held up with braces
b nautical : a rope rove through a block at the end of a ship's yard (see yard entry 4 sense 3) to swing it horizontally
c braces plural, clothing : suspenders
d medical : an appliance for supporting a body part has braces on his legs a neck brace
e braces plural, dentistry : an orthodontic appliance usually of metallic wire that is used especially to exert pressure to straighten misaligned teeth had braces as a teenager
5a : one of two marks { } used to connect words or items to be considered together
b music : one of these marks connecting two or more musical staffs (see staff entry 1 sense 3) carrying parts to be performed simultaneously
c : bracket sense 3a numbers written in braces
6 : a position of rigid attention on review, his uniform and brace were technically correct — Time
7 : something that arouses energy or strengthens morale
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Examples of brace in a Sentence

Verb

 He braced the gate with a piece of wood. Steel columns brace the structure. She braced herself with one hand and reached up with the other.

Noun

 We need to add some sort of brace to hold the shelf in place. He could walk with braces on his legs. She wears a back brace.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

 As of this writing, the East Coast is bracing for the arrival of Hurricane Dorian, which may hit Florida as a category 4 storm at some point in the next week. — Wired, "While You Were Offline: Could a Nuclear Bomb Stop a Hurricane?," 1 Sep. 2019 Puerto Ricans, with fresh memories of the 2017 disaster, have been bracing for what Dorian may look like. — Christina Maxouris, CNN, "Tropical Storm Dorian could be a hurricane by Tuesday as it approaches Puerto Rico," 26 Aug. 2019 Reproductive health care providers have been bracing for this for months. — Melissa Gira Grant, The New Republic, "Trump’s Title X Restrictions Are Nothing Short of Coercion," 20 Aug. 2019 Investors had been bracing for worse, however, given the worsening trade relations and slowing global economy. — Washington Post, "Flooding, a trade war and Deere cuts outlook again," 16 Aug. 2019 The real estate industry has been bracing for the entrance of tech giants for some time. — Jeff Andrews, Curbed, "Amazon enters the real estate business with Realogy partnership," 23 July 2019 To many non-Conservatives, who believe that Johnson, in particular, is not very interested in realism, Stewart’s candidacy has been bracing and exciting to watch. — Sam Knight, The New Yorker, "Rory Stewart, the Insurgent Candidate for Prime Minister, Soars Up and Out," 19 June 2019 Harvard chases alumni dollars with a zeal that is bracing to behold. — Heather Mac Donald, WSJ, "Who ‘Deserves’ to Go to Harvard?," 13 June 2019 Intelligence officials, cyber experts, and political campaigns have long been bracing for the possibility that these attacks could escalate through November 6. — Benjamin Wofford, Vox, "The midterms are already hacked. You just don’t know it yet.," 25 Oct. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

 Kane notched twice in his first Premier League outing this term, scoring a brace as the Lilywhites produced a stirring fightback against Aston Villa on opening day. —

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