[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/braces/)

[dictionaries](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [English](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/) / [B](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/b/) / braces

# braces

noun, plural (braces); also plural of «brace» (a brace)

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

## Everyday

1. Wires and small metal or clear pieces fixed to the teeth to make them straight over time. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/braces/#m1)
2. (British) Straps that go over the shoulders to hold trousers up; American «suspenders». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/braces/#m2)
3. Supports that hold something firmly in place, such as for a weak knee or a wall. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/braces/#m3)
4. The curly brackets { } used in writing and maths. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/braces/#m4)

### In the lessons

In everyday life, many children wear braces from an orthodontist; they must brush carefully and avoid sticky or hard sweets. In maths, braces { } show a set, like {1, 2, 3}. In safety, a knee or wrist brace supports an injured joint. Phrases: «wear braces», «get your braces off», «a pair of braces».

### Examples

- My cousin got braces to fix her crooked teeth. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/braces/#x1)
- With braces, you must not eat toffee or chew ice. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/braces/#x2)
- Grandpa wears red braces to hold up his trousers. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/braces/#x3)
- The orthodontist tightens the braces every month. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/braces/#x4)
- After a sprain, she wore a brace on her ankle. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/braces/#x5)
- In maths, the set of even numbers below ten is written {2, 4, 6, 8}. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/braces/#x6)
- He smiled when his braces came off. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/braces/#x7)
- Clean braces carefully after every meal. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/braces/#x8)
- Besides this, he wore a bear-skin, and great, warm boots, while his sons went with their throats bare and wore no braces, for they were strong men. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/braces/#x9)

### Note

Plural form, used for one set: «I wear braces», «My braces hurt». False friend across countries: in the UK «braces» hold trousers up, in the USA those are «suspenders»; and American «braces» on teeth is the same in the UK. Don't confuse braces { } with round brackets ( ) or square brackets \[ \].

## On Mova

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