braced; bracing
1
b
: invigorate, freshen
… I took the shower and it braced me up a bit.—
Raymond Chandler
Raymond Chandler
c
: to prepare for use by making taut
brace a drum
2
a
: to furnish or support with a brace (see brace entry 2 sense 1)
heavily braced against the wind
b
: to make stronger : reinforce
nerves … braced by long familiarity with danger—T. B. Macaulay
T. B. Macaulay3
: to put or plant firmly
braces his foot in the stirrup
4
nautical
: to turn (a sail yard) by means of a brace (see brace entry 2 sense 1e)
5
6
archaic
: to fasten tightly : bind
1
: to get ready (as for an attack)
brace for the storm
2
: to take heart
—used with up
brace up and do something—Upton Sinclair
Upton Sinclair
plural braces
1
: 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
medical
: an appliance for supporting a body part
has braces on his legs
a neck brace
c
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
d
e
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
2
a
: 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
3
4
: something (such as a clasp) that connects or fastens
5
: a crank-shaped instrument for turning a bit (see bit entry 1 sense 1a(2))
6
: a position of rigid attention
on review, his uniform and brace were technically correct—Time
Time7
: something that arouses energy or strengthens morale
Synonyms
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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noel Murray, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024
Related Articles Putin congratulates Donald Trump on his election victory in first public comments on US vote
China is bracing for fresh tensions with Trump over trade, tech and Taiwan
For many Iranians, Trump’s return intensifies worries about war.
—Nollyanne Delacruz, The Mercury News, 5 Nov. 2024
Jenna Ryu, SELF, 29 Oct. 2024
There are a few dozen rose bushes, various other perennial flowers, and a brace of fruit trees: the six apples, two plums (Santa Rosa and European prune), a persimmon (Hachiya), and a multi-graft Asian pear whose branches the local raccoons keep breaking in their nightly revelry.
—Manjula Martin, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for brace 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
This leads to an honest and bracing conversation about the nature of addiction.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024
Related Articles Putin congratulates Donald Trump on his election victory in first public comments on US vote
China is bracing for fresh tensions with Trump over trade, tech and Taiwan
For many Iranians, Trump’s return intensifies worries about war.
—Nollyanne Delacruz, The Mercury News, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
And this risk is much higher for people who had braces or Invisalign: Research shows that teeth naturally want to revert to their old positions after orthodontic treatment.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 29 Oct. 2024
There are a few dozen rose bushes, various other perennial flowers, and a brace of fruit trees: the six apples, two plums (Santa Rosa and European prune), a persimmon (Hachiya), and a multi-graft Asian pear whose branches the local raccoons keep breaking in their nightly revelry.
—Manjula Martin, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for brace
Dictionary Entries Near brace
Cite this Entry
“Brace.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brace. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
brace
2 of 2 noun
plural braces or brace
1
: two of a kind : pair
several brace of quail
2
: something that connects, fastens, or tightens
3
: a tool with a U-shaped bend that is used to turn wood-boring bits
4
a
: something that transfers, resists, or supports weight or pressure
especially
: a slanted timber used as a support in a structure
b
plural
: suspender sense 2
c
: a device for supporting a body part (as the shoulders)
d
plural
: a usually wire device attached to the teeth to make them straight and pull them into position
5
a
: a mark { or } used to connect words or items or musical staffs that are to be considered together
b
: one of a pair of such marks enclosing words or symbols
Etymology
Verb
Middle English bracen "to fasten, bind," from early French bracer "to embrace," from brace "pair of arms," derived from Latin bracchium "arm" — related to bracelet, brassiere, embrace see Word History at embrace
Noun
Middle English brace "pair, clasp," from early French brace "pair of arms," derived from Latin bracchium "arm" — related to pretzel see Word History at pretzel
Medical Definition
brace
1 of 2 noun1
: an appliance that gives support to movable parts (as a joint or a fractured bone), to weak muscles (as in paralysis), or to strained ligaments (as of the lower back)
2
braces plural
: an orthodontic appliance usually of metallic wire that is used especially to exert pressure to straighten misaligned teeth and that is not removable by the patient
brace
2 of 2 transitive verb
braced; bracing
: to furnish or support with a brace
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