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. &unr_;. ] 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 ]

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 ]

v. i. To get tone or vigor; to rouse one's energies; -- with up. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. held up by braces or buttresses.
Syn. -- buttressed. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ F. bracelet, dim. of OF. bracel armlet, prop. little arm, dim. of bras arm, fr. L. bracchium. See Brace, n. ] 1. An ornamental band or ring, for the wrist or the arm; in modern times, an ornament encircling the wrist, worn by women or girls. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A piece of defensive armor for the arm. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. That which braces, binds, or makes firm; a band or bandage. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A covering to protect the arm of the bowman from the vibration of the string; also, a brassart. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A medicine, as an astringent or a tonic, which gives tension or tone to any part of the body. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]