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brace |
5 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: 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}. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: 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. 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. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Brace \Brace\, v. i. To get tone or vigor; to rouse one's energies; -- with up [Colloq.] From WordNet r 1.6 [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}, {doubleton}, {pair}, {twosome}, {twain}, {span}, {yoke}, {couplet}, {distich}, {duo}, {duet}, {dyad}, {duad}] 3: a set of two similar things considered as a unit [syn: {pair}] 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: straps that hold trousers up (usually used in the plural) [syn: {suspender}, {gallus}] 7: an appliance that corrects dental irregularities [syn: {braces}] 8: the stock of a tool used for turning a drilling bit [syn: {bitstock}] 9: a structural member used to stiffen a framework [syn: {bracing}] v 1: prepare (oneself) for something unpleasant or difficult [syn: {poise}] 2: support or hold steady, as if with a brace; "brace your elbows while working on the potter's wheel" [syn: {steady}] 3: support by bracing 4: cause to be alert and energetic; "Coffee and tea stimulate me" [syn: {stimulate}, {arouse}, {energize}, {energise}, {perk up}] [ant: {de-energize}, {sedate}] From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (13 Mar 01) [foldoc]: brace{left brace} or {right brace}.
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