Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of 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. 2. A cord, ligament, or rod, for producing or maintaining tension, as a cord on the side of a drum. The little bones of the ear drum do in straining and relaxing it as the braces of the war drum do in that. --Derham. 3. The state of being braced or tight; tension. The laxness of the tympanum, when it has lost its brace or tension. --Holder. 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. 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. 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. 7. (Mech.) A curved instrument or handle of iron or wood, for holding and turning bits, etc.; a bitstock. 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. He is said to have shot . . . fifty brace of pheasants. --Addison. A brace of brethren, both bishops, both eminent for learning and religion, now appeared in the church. --Fuller. But you, my brace of lords. --Shak. 9. pl. Straps or bands to sustain trousers; suspenders. I embroidered for you a beautiful pair of braces. --Thackeray. 10. Harness; warlike preparation. [Obs.] For that it stands not in such warlike brace. --Shak. 11. Armor for the arm; vantbrace. 12. (Mining) The mouth of a shaft. [Cornwall] {Angle brace}. See under {Angle}.
\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. 2. To draw tight; to tighten; to put in a state of tension; to strain; to strengthen; as, to brace the nerves. And welcome war to brace her drums. --Campbell. 3. To bind or tie closely; to fasten tightly. The women of China, by bracing and binding them from their infancy, have very little feet. --Locke. Some who spurs had first braced on. --Sir W. Scott. 4. To place in a position for resisting pressure; to hold firmly; as, he braced himself against the crowd. A sturdy lance in his right hand he braced. --Fairfax. 5. (Naut.) To move around by means of braces; as, to brace the yards. {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.
\Brace\, v. i. To get tone or vigor; to rouse one's energies; -- with up. [Colloq.]