Result from Foreign Dictionaries (4 entries found)

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: Brace \Brace\, n. [OF. brace, brasse, the two arms, embrace, fathom, F. brasse fathom, fr. L. bracchia the arms (stretched out), pl. of bracchium arm; cf. Gr. ?.] 1. That which holds anything tightly or supports it firmly; a bandage or a prop. [1913 Webster] 2. A cord, ligament, or rod, for producing or maintaining tension, as a cord on the side of a drum. [1913 Webster] The little bones of the ear drum do in straining and relaxing it as the braces of the war drum do in that. --Derham. [1913 Webster] 3. The state of being braced or tight; tension. [1913 Webster] The laxness of the tympanum, when it has lost its brace or tension. --Holder. [1913 Webster] 4. (Arch. & Engin.) 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. [1913 Webster] 5. (Print.) 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. [1913 Webster] 6. (Naut.) A rope reeved through a block at the end of a yard, by which the yard is moved horizontally; also, a rudder gudgeon. [1913 Webster] 7. (Mech.) A curved instrument or handle of iron or wood, for holding and turning bits, etc.; a bitstock. [1913 Webster] 8. A pair; a couple; as, a brace of ducks; now rarely applied to persons, except familiarly or with some contempt. "A brace of greyhounds." --Shak. [1913 Webster] He is said to have shot . . . fifty brace of pheasants. --Addison. [1913 Webster] A brace of brethren, both bishops, both eminent for learning and religion, now appeared in the church. --Fuller. [1913 Webster] But you, my brace of lords. --Shak. [1913 Webster] 9. pl. Straps or bands to sustain trousers; suspenders. [1913 Webster] I embroidered for you a beautiful pair of braces. --Thackeray. [1913 Webster] 10. Harness; warlike preparation. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] For that it stands not in such warlike brace. --Shak. [1913 Webster] 11. Armor for the arm; vantbrace. [1913 Webster] 12. (Mining) The mouth of a shaft. [Cornwall] [1913 Webster] {Angle brace}. See under {Angle}. [1913 Webster] From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: Brace \Brace\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Braced}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Bracing}.] 1. To furnish with braces; to support; to prop; as, to brace a beam in a building. [1913 Webster] 2. To draw tight; to tighten; to put in a state of tension; to strain; to strengthen; as, to brace the nerves. [1913 Webster] And welcome war to brace her drums. --Campbell. [1913 Webster] 3. To bind or tie closely; to fasten tightly. [1913 Webster] The women of China, by bracing and binding them from their infancy, have very little feet. --Locke. [1913 Webster] Some who spurs had first braced on. --Sir W. Scott. [1913 Webster] 4. To place in a position for resisting pressure; to hold firmly; as, he braced himself against the crowd. [1913 Webster] A sturdy lance in his right hand he braced. --Fairfax. [1913 Webster] 5. (Naut.) To move around by means of braces; as, to brace the yards. [1913 Webster] {To brace about} (Naut.), to turn (a yard) round for the contrary tack. {To brace a yard} (Naut.), to move it horizontally by means of a brace. {To brace in} (Naut.), to turn (a yard) by hauling in the weather brace. {To brace one's self}, to call up one's energies. "He braced himself for an effort which he was little able to make." --J. D. Forbes. {To brace to} (Naut.), to turn (a yard) by checking or easing off the lee brace, and hauling in the weather one, to assist in tacking. {To brace up} (Naut.), to bring (a yard) nearer the direction of the keel by hauling in the lee brace. {To brace up sharp} (Naut.), to turn (a yard) as far forward as the rigging will permit. [1913 Webster] From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: Brace \Brace\, v. i. To get tone or vigor; to rouse one's energies; -- with up. [Colloq.] [1913 Webster] From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: brace n 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}, {brace}, {span}, {yoke}, {couplet}, {distich}, {duo}, {duet}, {dyad}, {duad}] 3: a set of two similar things considered as a unit [syn: {pair}, {brace}] 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 6: elastic straps that hold trousers up (usually used in the plural) [syn: {brace}, {suspender}, {gallus}] 7: an appliance that corrects dental irregularities [syn: {brace}, {braces}, {orthodontic braces}] 8: a carpenter's tool having a crank handle for turning and a socket to hold a bit for boring [syn: {brace}, {bitstock}] 9: a structural member used to stiffen a framework [syn: {brace}, {bracing}] v 1: prepare (oneself) for something unpleasant or difficult [syn: {brace}, {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: {brace}, {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}, {brace}, {energize}, {energise}, {perk up}] [ant: {calm}, {de-energise}, {de-energize}, {sedate}, {tranquilize}, {tranquillise}, {tranquillize}]