I. brace 1 /breɪs/ BrE AmE verb
1 . [transitive] to mentally or physically prepare yourself or someone else for something unpleasant that is going to happen
brace yourself (for something)
Nancy braced herself for the inevitable arguments.
The military needs to brace itself for further spending cuts, says McCoy.
brace yourself to do something
Cathy braced herself to see Matthew, who she expected to arrive at any minute.
be braced for something
The base was braced for an attack.
2 . [transitive] to push part of your body against something solid in order to make yourself more steady
brace something against something
Gina braced her back against the wall and pushed as hard as she could.
brace yourself (for something)
The pilot told passengers and crew to brace themselves for a rough landing.
3 . [transitive] to make something stronger by supporting it:
Wait until we’ve braced the ladder.
Workers used steel beams to brace the roof.
4 . [intransitive and transitive] to make your body or part of your body stiff in order to prepare to do something difficult
II. brace 2 BrE AmE noun
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: 'two arms' , from Latin bracchia , from bracchium 'arm' ]
1 . [countable] something that is used to strengthen or support something, or to make it stiff:
The miners used special braces to keep the walls from collapsing.
neck/back/knee brace (=a brace that supports the neck etc)
He was being fitted for a back brace.
She had to wear a brace after the accident.
2 . [countable] ( also braces [plural] ) a system of metal wires that people, usually children, wear on their teeth to make them grow straight
3 . [countable usually plural] American English a metal support that someone with weak legs wears to help them walk SYN callipers British English
4 . braces [plural] British English two long pieces of material that stretch over someone’s shoulders and fasten to their trousers at the front and the back to stop them falling down SYN suspenders American English
5 . [countable] one of a pair of signs { } used to show that information written between them should be considered together ⇨ bracket
6 . a brace of something especially British English two things of the same type, especially two birds or animals that have been killed for food or sport:
a brace of partridge