I. em ‧ brace 1 /ɪmˈbreɪs/ BrE AmE verb
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: embracier , from brace 'two arms' ]
1 . [intransitive and transitive] to put your arms around someone and hold them in a friendly or loving way SYN hug :
Jack warmly embraced his son.
Maggie and Laura embraced.
2 . [transitive] formal to eagerly accept a new idea, opinion, religion etc:
We hope these regions will embrace democratic reforms.
Most West European countries have embraced the concept of high-speed rail networks with enthusiasm.
3 . [transitive] formal to include something as part of a subject, discussion etc:
This course embraces several different aspects of psychology.
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THESAURUS
▪ hug ( also give somebody a hug ) to put your arms around someone and hold them tightly to show love or friendship:
Mother hugged him and tucked him into bed.
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Come here and give me a big hug.
▪ embrace to put your arms around someone and hold him or her in a caring way. Embrace is more formal than hug :
Jason warmly embraced his son.
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The two leaders embraced each other.
▪ cuddle to put your arms around someone or something as a sign of love, especially a child or a small animal:
She sat on a chair, cuddling her daughter.
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He cuddled the puppy.
▪ put your arms around somebody to hold someone closely to your body, especially to comfort them or show that you love them:
The woman put her arms around the sobbing boy.
▪ cradle written to hold someone very gently in your arms, like you would hold a baby:
She held the baby in her arms.
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She cradled his head in her hands and kissed him on the forehead
II. embrace 2 BrE AmE noun [countable]
the act of holding someone close to you, especially as a sign of love
in an embrace
They held each other in a tender embrace.