brace

/breis/

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The word "brace" can be understood in several ways, as it can function as both a noun and a verb. Let’s break it down:

Noun Meanings:

1. Structural Member: A brace is a piece used in construction to make a structure stronger. For example, "The carpenter added a brace to support the wall."

2. Carpenter's Tool: It refers to a tool that has a crank handle and is used for boring holes in wood. For example, "He used a brace to drill a hole in the wooden board."

3. Dental Appliance: In dentistry, braces are devices used to straighten teeth. For example, "She got braces to fix her crooked teeth."

4. Suspender Straps: These are elastic straps worn to hold up trousers. For instance, "He wore braces instead of a belt."

5. Rope on a Ship: In sailing, a brace is a rope that helps control the sails. For example, "The crew adjusted the brace to catch the wind better."

6. Punctuation Marks: Braces are the curly brackets { } used in writing to enclose text. For instance, "You use braces in programming to group commands."

7. Pair of Similar Things: A brace can refer to a set of two similar items considered together. For example, "He bought a brace of ducks."

8. Support for Strength: It can mean something that stabilizes or strengthens another object. For example, "The tree had a brace to keep it from falling over."

Verb Meanings:

1. To Prepare for Difficulty: To brace oneself means to get ready for something tough. For example, "She braced herself for the bad news."

2. To Support or Steady: To brace something means to hold it steady or strengthen it. For example, "He braced the ladder against the wall."

3. To Energize: In a more figurative sense, it can mean to make someone more alert or energetic. For example, "The coffee braced him for the long meeting."

Word Variants:

• Braced (adjective): Describing something that has been supported or strengthened. For example, "The braced structure was more stable."
• Bracing (adjective): Something invigorating or refreshing, like a cool breeze. For example, "The bracing air felt good after being inside."

Synonyms:

• For the noun: support, reinforcement, pair, tool, device.
• For the verb: support, strengthen, prepare, steady, invigorate.

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• "Brace for impact": To prepare for something that will be difficult or potentially harmful.
• "Brace oneself": To prepare mentally for something challenging.

Example Sentences:

• Noun: "He wore braces to keep his pants from falling down."
• Verb: "Before the storm hit, we had to brace the windows."

Advanced Usage:

In more technical contexts, "brace" can be used in engineering or architecture to describe specific types of structural supports. In a medical context, the term may refer to various types of orthopedic devices that provide support to injured body parts.

Academic

Noun

1. a structural member used to stiffen a framework
2. a carpenter's tool having a crank handle for turning and a socket to hold a bit for boring
3. an appliance that corrects dental irregularities
4. elastic straps that hold trousers up (usually used in the plural)
5. a rope on a square-rigged ship that is used to swing a yard about and secure it
6. either of two punctuation marks ({ or }) used to enclose textual material
7. a set of two similar things considered as a unit
8. two items of the same kind
9. a support that steadies or strengthens something else
   • he wore a brace on his knee

Verb

1. cause to be alert and energetic
   • Coffee and tea stimulate me
   • This herbal infusion doesn't stimulate
2. support by bracing
3. support or hold steady and make steadfast, with or as if with a brace
   • brace your elbows while working on the potter's wheel
4. prepare (oneself) for something unpleasant or difficult

Synonyms

• bracing
• bitstock
• braces
• orthodontic braces
• suspender
• gallus
• pair
• stimulate
• arouse
• energize
• energise
• perk up
• steady
• stabilize
• stabilise
• poise