1. (n.) That which holds anything tightly or supports it firmly; a bandage or a prop.

2. (n.) A cord, ligament, or rod, for producing or maintaining tension, as a cord on the side of a drum.

3. (n.) The state of being braced or tight; tension.

4. (n.) 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.

5. (n.) 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.

6. (n.) A rope reeved through a block at the end of a yard, by which the yard is moved horizontally; also, a rudder gudgeon.

7. (n.) A curved instrument or handle of iron or wood, for holding and turning bits, etc.; a bitstock.

8. (n.) A pair; a couple; as, a brace of ducks; now rarely applied to persons, except familiarly or with some contempt.

9. (n.) Straps or bands to sustain trousers; suspenders.

10. (n.) Harness; warlike preparation.

11. (n.) Armor for the arm; vantbrace.

12. (n.) The mouth of a shaft.

13. (v. t.) To furnish with braces; to support; to prop; as, to brace a beam in a building.

14. (v. t.) To draw tight; to tighten; to put in a state of tension; to strain; to strengthen; as, to brace the nerves.

15. (v. t.) To bind or tie closely; to fasten tightly.

16. (v. t.) To place in a position for resisting pressure; to hold firmly; as, he braced himself against the crowd.

17. (v. t.) To move around by means of braces; as, to brace the yards.

18. (v. i.) To get tone or vigor; to rouse one's energies; -- with up.

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