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# brace

noun (a brace, braces); verb (brace, braces, braced, bracing)

«brace» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A metal or plastic device fixed to teeth to straighten them (braces). [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brace/#m1)
2. A support that holds a broken or weak body part, like a knee brace or neck brace. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brace/#m2)
3. Braces (UK) are straps over the shoulders that hold up trousers; Americans call them suspenders. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brace/#m3)
4. To get ready for something difficult or a hit, by making your body firm or your mind ready (brace yourself). [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brace/#m4)
5. To press or hold something firmly so it stays steady. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brace/#m5)
6. A curly bracket { } used in maths and computing. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brace/#m6)
7. A brace of: a pair (old-fashioned, used for birds). [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brace/#m7)

### In the lessons

In everyday life many children wear braces on their teeth for a while. In safety lessons, on a plane the «brace position» protects you in an emergency landing; injured joints may need a brace. In stories «brace yourself» warns that something big or bad is coming. In maths and coding, braces { } group things. Phrases: brace yourself, brace for, brace position, knee brace, have braces.

### Examples

- Lily got braces to straighten her teeth. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brace/#x1)
- Brace yourself — the roller coaster is about to drop! [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brace/#x2)
- The flight attendant showed us the brace position. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brace/#x3)
- He wore a brace on his knee after the football injury. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brace/#x4)
- Dad's trousers were held up by red braces. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brace/#x5)
- She braced her feet against the wall and pulled the rope. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brace/#x6)
- The town braced for the storm. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brace/#x7)
- In maths, braces { } show a set of numbers. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brace/#x8)

### Note

Teeth: «braces» is usually plural even for one set (I have braces). UK braces = US suspenders; UK «suspenders» are something else, so this is a trap between countries. Bracing (adjective) also means fresh and cold: a bracing sea wind.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «brace» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/brace/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«brace» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/brace.html) on Mova free.