[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

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.
      1913 webster

   2. a cord, ligament, or rod, for producing or maintaining
      tension, as a cord on the side of a drum.
      1913 webster

            the little bones of the ear drum do in straining and
            relaxing it as the braces of the war drum do in
            that.                                 --derham.
      1913 webster

   3. the state of being braced or tight; tension.
      1913 webster

            the laxness of the tympanum, when it has lost its
            brace or tension.                     --holder.
      1913 webster

   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.
      1913 webster

   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.
      1913 webster

   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.
      1913 webster

   7. mech. a curved instrument or handle of iron or wood, for
      holding and turning bits, etc.; a bitstock.
      1913 webster

   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.
      1913 webster

            he is said to have shot . . . fifty brace of
            pheasants.                            --addison.
      1913 webster

            a brace of brethren, both bishops, both eminent for
            learning and religion, now appeared in the church.
                                                  --fuller.
      1913 webster

            but you, my brace of lords.           --shak.
      1913 webster

   9. pl. straps or bands to sustain trousers; suspenders.
      1913 webster

            i embroidered for you a beautiful pair of braces.
                                                  --thackeray.
      1913 webster

   10. harness; warlike preparation. obs.
       1913 webster

             for that it stands not in such warlike brace.
                                                  --shak.
       1913 webster

   11. armor for the arm; vantbrace.
       1913 webster

   12. mining the mouth of a shaft. cornwall
       1913 webster

   angle brace. see under angle.
      1913 webster
see also:
angle brace angle 

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

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.
      1913 webster

   2. to draw tight; to tighten; to put in a state of tension;
      to strain; to strengthen; as, to brace the nerves.
      1913 webster

            and welcome war to brace her drums.   --campbell.
      1913 webster

   3. to bind or tie closely; to fasten tightly.
      1913 webster

            the women of china, by bracing and binding them from
            their infancy, have very little feet. --locke.
      1913 webster

            some who spurs had first braced on.   --sir w.
                                                  scott.
      1913 webster

   4. to place in a position for resisting pressure; to hold
      firmly; as, he braced himself against the crowd.
      1913 webster

            a sturdy lance in his right hand he braced.
                                                  --fairfax.
      1913 webster

   5. naut. to move around by means of braces; as, to brace
      the yards.
      1913 webster

   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.
      1913 webster
see also:
braced bracing to brace about to brace a yard to brace in to brace one's self 
to brace to to brace up to brace up sharp 

[3] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

brace \brace\, v. i.
   to get tone or vigor; to rouse one's energies; -- with up.
   colloq.
   1913 webster

[4] : WordNet (r) 2.0

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, 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: elastic 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 and make steadfast, with or as if
        with a brace; "brace your elbows while working on the
        potter's wheel" syn: steady, stabilize, stabilise
     3: support by bracing
     4: cause to be alert and energetic; "coffee and tea stimulate
        me"; "this herbal infusion doesn't stimulate" syn: stimulate,
         arouse, energize, energise, perk up ant: de-energize,
         de-energize, sedate
see also:
couple pair twosome twain span yoke 
couplet distich duo duet dyad 
duad  or  suspender gallus braces 
bitstock bracing poise steady stabilize 
stabilise stimulate arouse energize energise 
perk up de-energize sedate 

[5] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

245 moby thesaurus words for "brace":
   ace bandage, band-aid, adhesive tape, advocate, afford support,
   alpenstock, animate, appeal, application, arm, athletic supporter,
   back, back up, backbone, backing, band, bandage, bandaging,
   bandeau, bar, bar line, bear, bear up, bearer, beef up, belt, bend,
   beseech, bind, bind up, binder, bolster, bolster up, both, bra,
   brace up, bracer, bracket, brassiere, brisk, brisken, buck up,
   buckle, bundle, buoy up, buttress, cane, carrier, carry,
   case harden, cast, cataplasm, catch, cervix, chain, cheer,
   chirk up, cinch, clamp, clasp, clip, column, compress, confirm,
   corset, cotton, couple, couplet, coupling, court plaster, cradle,
   cravat, crave, crook, crutch, cushion, degree, distich, do up,
   double harness, doublet, dressing, drill, duad, duet, duo, dyad,
   elastic bandage, enliven, entreat, epithem, exhilarate, fastener,
   fortify, foundation garment, four-tailed bandage, fresh up,
   freshen, freshen up, fulcrum, gallows, galluses, gauze, gird,
   girdle, girt, girth, give support, guy, guywire, hang on, harden,
   hold, hold on, hold up, holdfast, implore, importune, invigorate,
   jock, jockstrap, keep afloat, keep up, lace, lash, leash,
   ledger line, lend support, line, lint, mainstay, maintain,
   maintainer, mast, match, mates, neck, nerve, pair, perk up,
   pick up, pillow, plaster, plaster cast, plead, pledget, poultice,
   pray, prop, prop up, quicken, reanimate, recreate, refresh,
   refreshen, regale, reinforce, reinforcement, reinforcer,
   reinvigorate, renew, rest, resting place, restrengthen, revive,
   revivify, rigging, rigidify, roller, roller bandage, rope,
   rubber bandage, screw up, set of two, set up, shore, shore up,
   shoulder, shroud, sling, space, span, spine, splice, splint,
   sponge, sprit, staff, standing rigging, stave, stay, steady, steel,
   stick, stiffen, stiffener, stimulate, strap, strengthen,
   strengthener, strut, stupe, subsidize, subvention, supplicate,
   support, supporter, sustain, sustainer, swaddle, swathe, tampon,
   tape, team, temper, tense, tent, the two, tie, tie up, tighten,
   toughen, tourniquet, triangular bandage, trice up, truss, twain,
   two, twosome, underbrace, undergird, underlie, underpin,
   underpinning, underset, upbear, uphold, upholder, upkeep, vivify,
   walking stick, wire, wrap, wrap up, yoke

[6] : The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03)

brace
     
         left brace or right brace.
     
     
see also:
left brace right brace 

Brace >> B Words
Brace, definition of term: Brace
brace_pag1.html

Main Brace >> M Words
Main Brace, definition of term: Main Brace
main+brace_pag1.html