n.
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural brac · es
Etymology: Middle English, clasp, pair, from Anglo-French, pair of arms, pair, support, from Latin bracchia, plural of bracchium arm, from Greek brachi ō n, from comparative of brachys short ― more at BRIEF
Date: 14th century
1 : something (as a clasp) that connects or fastens
2 or plural brace : two of a kind : PAIR <several brace of quail>
3 : a crank-shaped instrument for turning a bit
4 : something that transmits, directs, resists, or supports weight or pressure: as a : a diagonal piece of structural material that serves to strengthen something (as a framework) b : a rope rove through a block at the end of a ship's yard to swing it horizontally c plural : SUSPENDERS d : an appliance for supporting a body part e plural : an orthodontic appliance usually of metallic wire that is used especially to exert pressure to straighten misaligned teeth
5 a : one of two marks { } used to connect words or items to be considered together b : one of these marks connecting two or more musical staffs carrying parts to be performed simultaneously c : BRACKET 3A
6 : a position of rigid attention
7 : something that arouses energy or strengthens morale