Braces

something that holds parts together or in place, as a clasp or clamp.
anything that imparts rigidity or steadiness.
Also called bitbrace, bitstock. Machinery. a device for holding and turning a bit for boring or drilling.
Building Trades. a piece of timber, metal, etc., for supporting or positioning another piece or portion of a framework.
Nautical. (on a square-rigged ship) a rope by which a yard is swung about and secured horizontally.
Music. leather loops sliding upon the tightening cords of a drum to change their tension and the drum’s pitch.
Often, braces. Dentistry. a round or flat metal wire placed against the surfaces of the teeth for straightening irregularly arranged teeth.
Medicine/Medical. an appliance for supporting a weak joint or joints.
braces, Chiefly British, suspender (def 1).
a pair; couple:
a brace of grouse.
Printing.

one of two characters { or } used to enclose words or lines to be considered together.
bracket (def 7).

Music. connected staves.
a protective band covering the wrist or lower part of the arm, especially a bracer.
Military. a position of attention with exaggeratedly stiff posture.
to furnish, fasten, or strengthen with or as if with a brace.
to fix firmly; make steady; secure against pressure or impact:
He braces himself when the ship rolls. Brace yourself for some bad news.
to make tight; increase the tension of.
to act as a stimulant to.
Nautical. to swing or turn around (the yards of a ship) by means of the braces.
Military. to order (a subordinate) to assume and maintain a brace.
Military. to assume a brace.
brace in, Nautical. to brace (the yards of a square-rigged vessel) more nearly athwartships, as for running free.
brace up, Informal. to summon up one’s courage; become resolute:
She choked back her tears and braced up.
Usually, suspenders. Also called, especially British, braces. adjustable straps or bands worn over the shoulders with the ends buttoned or clipped to the waistband of a pair of trousers or a skirt to support it.
British, garter.
a hanging cable or chain in a suspension bridge connecting the deck with the suspension cable or chain.
a person or thing that suspends.
Contemporary Examples

My Visit To Hell Christopher Buckley January 29, 2009
Is HGH, Allegedly Alex Rodriguez’s Drug of Choice, Really So Bad? Kent Sepkowitz July 31, 2013
Shailene Woodley Opens Up About Coming of Age, ‘Divergent,’ and the Faults in Our World Marlow Stern January 21, 2014
Is Rafael Correa the Next Hugo Chavez? Mac Margolis August 21, 2013
10 Ways to Win an Oscar Jacob Bernstein February 27, 2010

Historical Examples

Oswald Langdon Carson Jay Lee
The Fortune of the Rougons Emile Zola
Studies in Central American Picture-Writing Edward S. Holden
The Sea-Hawk Raphael Sabatini
Yonder Emily Hilda Young

plural noun
(Brit) a pair of straps worn over the shoulders by men for holding up the trousers US and Canadian word suspenders
noun
a hand tool for drilling holes, with a socket to hold the drill at one end and a cranked handle by which the tool can be turned In full hand brace See also brace and bit
something that steadies, binds, or holds up another thing
a structural member, such as a beam or prop, used to stiffen a framework
a sliding loop, usually of leather, attached to the cords of a drum: used to change its tension
a pair; two, esp of game birds: a brace of partridges
either of a pair of characters, { }, used for connecting lines of printing or writing or as a third sign of aggregation in complex mathematical or logical expressions that already contain parentheses and square brackets
Also called accolade. a line or bracket connecting two or more staves of music
(often pl) an appliance of metal bands and wires that can be tightened to maintain steady pressure on the teeth for correcting uneven alignment
(med) any of various appliances for supporting the trunk, a limb, or teeth
another word for bracer2
(in square-rigged sailing ships) a rope that controls the movement of a yard and thus the position of a sail
See braces
verb (mainly transitive)
to provide, strengthen, or fit with a brace
to steady or prepare (oneself or something) as before an impact
(also intransitive) to stimulate; freshen; invigorate: sea air is bracing
to control the horizontal movement of (the yards of a square-rigged sailing ship)
noun
(often pl) (Brit)

an elastic strap attached to a belt or corset having a fastener at the end, for holding up women’s stockings
a similar fastener attached to a garter worn by men in order to support socks US and Canadian equivalent garter

(pl) (US & Canadian) a pair of straps worn over the shoulders by men for holding up the trousers Also called (in Britain and certain other countries) braces
a person or thing that suspends, such as one of the vertical cables that carries the deck in a suspension bridge
n.
v.

To stop or approach a person and beg for money: This panhandler came up to me and braced me (1890+)
To confront someone with an accusation: this would be a good chance to brace Bubba’s wife without her husband being present (1950s+)
: The sergeant ordered her to brace