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That which holds anything tightly or supports it firmly; a
bandage or a prop. |
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A cord, ligament, or rod, for producing or maintaining
tension, as a cord on the side of a drum. |
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The state of being braced or tight; tension. |
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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. |
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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. |
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A rope reeved through a block at the end of a yard, by which
the yard is moved horizontally; also, a rudder gudgeon. |
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A curved instrument or handle of iron or wood, for holding
and turning bits, etc.; a bitstock. |
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A pair; a couple; as, a brace of ducks; now rarely applied
to persons, except familiarly or with some contempt. |
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Straps or bands to sustain trousers; suspenders. |
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Harness; warlike preparation. |
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Armor for the arm; vantbrace. |
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The mouth of a shaft. |
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To furnish with braces; to support; to prop; as, to brace
a beam in a building. |
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To draw tight; to tighten; to put in a state of tension;
to strain; to strengthen; as, to brace the nerves. |
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To bind or tie closely; to fasten tightly. |
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To place in a position for resisting pressure; to hold
firmly; as, he braced himself against the crowd. |
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To move around by means of braces; as, to brace the
yards. |
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To get tone or vigor; to rouse one's energies; -- with
up. |