brace

1 of 2

verb

braced; bracing

transitive verb

1
a
: prepare, steel
brace yourself for the shock
b
: invigorate, freshen
… I took the shower and it braced me up a bit.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 dangerT. B. Macaulay
3
: 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
: to waylay especially with demands or questions : confront
when braced, Willie had naturally denied his identityTime
6
archaic : to fasten tightly : bind

intransitive verb

1
: to get ready (as for an attack)
brace for the storm
2
: to take heart
used with up
brace up and do somethingUpton Sinclair

brace

2 of 2

noun

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
British braces plural, clothing : suspenders
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
or plural brace : two of a kind : pair
several brace of quail
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 correctTime
7
: something that arouses energy or strengthens morale

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
Verb
With election cycles starting earlier and earlier, employers are already bracing for the worst. Paige McGlauflin, Fortune, 4 Mar. 2024 Around the state, whether March tourists are a welcome sight or dreaded, emergency officials are bracing for what’s to come. USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024 Those areas were expected to see between 1 to 4 inches of snow, the weather service said, although an advisory issued Sunday morning still warned that places impacted by the current bout of blustery winter weather should brace for possible wind gusts throughout the day of up to 45 miles per hour. Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2024 Food companies are also bracing for GLP-1 consumers to buy fewer sugary snacks and drinks. Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024 Bay Area residents and those in the Sierra Nevada hunkered down and braced themselves Friday for the second of punch from a massive cold winter storm that the National Weather Service said likely would bring more force than the first one. Rick Hurd, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2024 On Thursday evening, a succession of Fairfax County residents took refuge in bus shelters next to the Vienna-Fairfax Metrorail station, bracing themselves against frigid temperatures and piercing winds. Danny Nguyen, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024 Neeraj Pandey Kota Factory Season 3 Release Date: TBC Logline: Having now braved through the tough initial preparation and the relentless pressure of academics, students brace themselves for the all-important IIT JEE exam. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Feb. 2024 The mouthguard comes on, his eyes narrow in focus, and his relatively small frame braces itself for combat in the Reds’ midfield. Henry Flynn, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
Noun
Lionel Messi has joined in on Inter Miami’s scoring fun vs. rivals Orlando City, bagging a second-half brace to give Inter Miami the biggest lead in the history of the Florida rivalry. Franco Panizo, Miami Herald, 2 Mar. 2024 Chmerkovskiy posted images of his X-rays, along with another of himself in a neck brace and hooked up to a drip. Becca Longmire, Peoplemag, 22 Feb. 2024 Reneau had 28 points and eight rebounds while slumping for most of the second half due to exhaustion and an injury that forced him to sport a brace on his left knee. Zion Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 20 Jan. 2024 That same night, the always fashionable Pascal showed up with an unexpected accessory on the red carpet: an arm brace. Sabienna Bowman, Peoplemag, 25 Feb. 2024 What was really needed was a brace that didn’t act like a brace. Tim Newcomb, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 Now, as the 40,000-student campus braces for layoffs, Mr. Ramos is worried. Jack Healy, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2024 Higher elevations brace for heavy snow The office also said Sunday a winter storm warning is in effect through Wednesday at 10 a.m. Steve Almasy, CNN, 19 Feb. 2024 LaPorta continues to practice with a large brace on his left knee. Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press, 18 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'brace.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French bracer to embrace, from brace

Noun

Middle English, clasp, pair, from Anglo-French, pair of arms, pair, support, from Latin bracchia, plural of bracchium arm, from Greek brachiōn, from comparative of brachys short — more at brief

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 6

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Time Traveler
The first known use of brace was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near brace

Cite this Entry

“Brace.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brace. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

brace

1 of 2 verb
braced; bracing
1
a
: to make firm or tight
b
: to get ready : prepare
braced herself for the test
2
: to furnish or support with a brace
3
: to give life or energy to : freshen
4
: to place firmly
5
: to regain one's courage
brace up, all is not lost

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
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 noun
1
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on brace

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!