Also 5–7 brase, 6–7 brache, 6 bresse, 7 brasse, 9 (dial.) braas. [Orig. a. OF. brace, brache, brase (fem. sing.) the two arms, esp. the width of the two arms:—L. brāc(c)hia, pl. of brac(c)hium the arm. But senses 7 onwards appear to be chiefly taken from or influenced by certain senses of BRACE v.1, and might perhaps be better treated as a separate word.]
I. Uses of the general sense ‘pair of arms.’
† 1. The portion of a suit of armor covering the arms. (At first ‘a pair of brace,’ but afterwards applied to the covering of one arm.) Obs.
c. 1340. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 582. Wel bornyst brace vpon his boþe armes.
1430. Lydg., Chron. Troy, III. xxii. Some … ne wolde fayle To haue of mayle a payre brase.
1483. Cath. Angl., 39. A brace, defensorium, brachiale.
a. 1605. Montgomerie, Poems (1821), 7. On his left arm, ane brace.
1611. Cotgr., Bracats, Brasses, or Vambrasses; armor for the armes.
† b. ? A coat of armor. Obs.
1601. Shaks., Per., II. i. 133. ‘It hath been a shield ’Twixt ine and death’;—and [he] pointed to this brace.
† c. A state of defence or of preparation for war.
1604. Shaks., Oth., I. iii. 24. Cyprus … stands not in such Warrelike brace.
† 2. A measure of length, orig. representing the length of the extended arms; cf. FATHOM. (The French brasse was 1·62. meters (Littré) = about 64 inches.) Obs.
1599. Hakluyt, Voy., II. I. 211. They haue built a tombe … a brace and an halfe high.
1613. Purchas, Pilgr., VIII. xiv. (1614), 815. This fiery concauity … goes down two hundred and fifty braces or yards.
1710. W. Mather, Yng. Man’s Comp. (1727), 399. Giving diversity of Names to their Measures; as the Yard, Ell, Goad, Aulne, Brace.
† 3. An embrace; fig. in quot. Obs.
1589. Pasquil’s Ret., 4. Hee fell into the brace of Rome again.
† 4. An arch of a bridge. Cf. SPAN of arch. Obs.
1483. Cath. Angl., 39. A Brace of a bryge, or of a vawte; sinus, arcus.
5. Sc. A mantel-shelf. Cf. brace-piece in VI; also window-brace ‘the part of a window on which the sash rests’ (Jamieson).
1806. Train, Poetical Reveries, 101. A dreadfu’ knell came on the brace.
6. A carpenter’s tool, having a crank handle, and a socket or pad to hold a ‘bit’ for boring.
1567. Wills & Inv. N. C. (1835), 268. V wombles, iij percers bittes and a brace xxd.
1832. Babbage, Econ. Manuf., xvii. (ed. 3), 153. Braces for carpenters, with 12 bits.
1833. J. Holland, Manuf. Metal, II. 128. The joiner when boring with a brace and bit.
II. That which clasps, tightens, secures, connects. Cf. BRACE v.1 3.
7. A clasp, buckle, clamp, or other connecting piece or fastener.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 46. Brace of a balke, uncus, loramentum.
1571. Wills & Inv. N. C. (1835), 362. Onm lijc claspes for collers … iij boxes of bresses ijs vj.
1580. Hollyband, Treas. Fr. Tong, Agraphe, a buckle of a gyrdle, a claspe, a brace.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts, 177. Some thick collar or brace, so as he [the Fox] can never bite it asunder.
1639. Horn & Robotham, Gate Lang. Unl., xlix. § 545, marg. The braches bind down and hold fast the dormans to the studs.
1790. Cowper, Odyss., I. 561. Fasten’d it with bolt and brace secure.
1868. G. Stephens, Runic Mons., I. 295. This Bronze Brace … has belonged to a Sword-sheath of wood.
† 8. The fibula of the leg. A transl. of L. fibula lit. ‘brooch’ or ‘buckle.’ Cf. brace-bone in VI.
1656. Dugard, Gate Lat. Unl., § 223. 61. The Fibula, or Brace, or lesser focile.
9. A strap bearing a buckle, or otherwise adapted to be drawn tight and fastened: a. for tightening the joints of armor. (Perh. only a mod. inference from BRACE v.1)
1852. Miss Yonge, Cameos (1877), II. iii. 29. His own thrifty hands mended the brace.
b. One of a pair of straps of leather or webbing used to support the trousers; a suspender. (In quot. 1816 with pun on BRACE sb.3 App. not before 19th c.; cf. BRACER1 1, quot. 1799.)
1816. ‘Quiz,’ Grand Master, I. 20. It broke, and … Carried away both stays and braces.
1824. Craven Dial., 17. They gee ’em two names, a braas an a gallows.
1848. Thackeray, Van. Fair, iii. (1853), 15. I have embroidered for you a very beautiful pair of braces.
c. A strap serving as a handle (fig. in quot.).
1592. Bp. Andrewes, Serm. (1843), V. 504. Our faith is the braces or handle whereby we take hold.
10. A leathern thong that slides up and down the cord of a drum, and is used to regulate the tension of the skins, and thus the pitch of the note. (cf. BRACE v.1 4.) † b. Also the cord itself (obs.).
1596. Edw. III., II. ii. 26. Go … hang him in the braces of his drum.
1713. Derham, Phys.-Theol., IV. iii. 126–7 (J.). The little Bones and Muscles of the Ear-drum do the same Office in straining and relaxing it, as the Braces of the War-drum do in that.
1879. V. de Pontigny, in Grove, Dict. Mus., I. 466/1. This cord is tightened by means of leather braces. Ibid., 466/2. The heads are tightened by cords and braces.
c. transf. Tension.
1669. Holder, Elem. Speech, App. 113 (J.). The most frequent cause of Deafness is to be attributed to the Laxness of the Tympanum, when it has lost its Brace or Tension by some irregularity in the Figure of those Bones, or defect in that Muscle.
11. Brace of a coach: one of the stout leathern straps by which the body of a carriage is suspended from the springs.
1720. Gay, Poems (1745), I. 174. See yon bright chariot on its braces swing.
1794. W. Felton, Carriages (1801), I. 226. The bodies of Carriages are suspended from the springs by braces.
12. Naut. (See quot. 1850.)
c. 1850. Rudim. Navig. (Weale), 100. Braces, straps of iron, copper, or mixed metal, secured with bolts and screws to the stern-post and bottom planks. In their after ends are holes to receive the pintles by which the rudder is hung.
1869. Sir E. Reed, Shipbuild., xiii. 247. The rudder was hung to three braces, riveted to the hollow-plate stern-post.
13. A slender bandage or cord fastened round a decoy-bird’s body. Cf. brace-bird in VI.
1768. Pennant, Zool., II. 332. These birds [the decoys] are secured … by what is called a brace.
14. A sign } used in writing or printing, chiefly for the purpose of uniting together two or more lines, words, staves of music, etc. Sometimes, but less correctly, used in plural to denote square brackets [ ].
1656. Blount, Glossogr., s.v., With Printers a Brace is that which couples two or more words together.
1806. Callcott, Mus. Gram., i. 3. When a Staff is wanted for each hand they are joined together by a Brace.
1824. L. Murray, Eng. Gram., I. 413. A Brace } is used in poetry at the end of a triplet.
1841. J. R. Young, Math. Dissert., iii. 129. The first term within the braces.
1880. Muirhead, Gaius, Introd. 12. I have had recourse to … braces [ ] and marks of parenthesis.
III. 15. Two things taken together; a pair, a couple. Often a mere synonym for two, as, in cricketing language ‘A hit B for a brace’; see c.
In this sense the plural is also brace, as in two or three brace, several brace.
a. orig. of dogs. (Perhaps the band or cord with which dogs were coupled in coursing was called a brace; cf. sense 13 and LEASH.)
1430. Lydg., Chron. Troy, I. vi. This ylke lease of thre … All sodeynly was tourned to a brase.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 46. Brace of howndys.
1593. Shaks., 3 Hen. VI., II. v. 129. Edward and Richard like a brace of Grey-hounds … Are at our backes.
1602. Dekker, Satirom., Wks. 1873, I. 226. Sir Vaugh. I indited a brace or two more. Asi. He makes hounds of us … a brace quoth a?
1816. Scott, Bl. Dwarf, ii. 15. He summoned to his side the brace of large greyhounds.
b. of other animals, esp. certain kinds of game.
1570. Levins, Manip., 6. A Brace of Deere, duo damae.
1651. Fuller, Abel Rediv. Erasmus (1867), I. 83. Hammond and Urswick sent him a brace of geldings.
1715. Lond. Gaz., No. 5371/4. A brace of Trouts.
1741. Compl. Fam.-Piece, II. i. 317. A Brace or Leash of Live Partridges.
1851. Kingsley, Bad Squire, 28. A few more brace of game.
1867. F. Francis, Angling, v. (1880), 178. I rose and hooked six brace of capital fish.
c. of things. (More correctly when united or paired, as in a brace of pistols.)
1583. Stubbes, Anat. Abus. (1877), 75. Their Parents owe a brase of hundred pounds more than they are worth.
1630. M. Godwyn, Annales England, 232. Robert Ket … had gathered a fortune of a brace of thousands.
1642. Fuller, Holy & Prof. St., III. vii. 167. Borrowing of thy neighbour a brace of chambers for a night.
1725. Lond. Gaz., No. 6372/3. Shot through the Left Arm with a Brace of Bullets.
1832. Ht. Martineau, Ireland, v. 85. Three brace of pistols.
d. of persons. (Chiefly with a touch of humor or contempt.)
1606. Warner, Alb. Eng., XIV. xci. (1612), 370. Clargie-men … Pluralitie that huddle, haue also their brace of wiues.
1655. Fuller, Ch. Hist., II. ii. § 84. I. 213. A brace of Brethren, both Bishops.
1768. Goldsm., Good-n. Man, III. i. I’ll undertake to set down a brace of dukes.
1847. Tennyson, Princess, V. 453. A lusty brace of twins may weed her of her folly.
1863. Mrs. C. Clarke, Shaks. Char., xix. 483. Thorough specimens of a brace of vulgar demagogues.
IV. That which imparts rigidity or steadiness; cf. BRACE v.1 6.
16. A strip or band of metal used for support, e.g., in mounting bells.
1730. Churchw. Accts. Holy Cross, Canterb. Casting All ye braces for ye bells.
1879. Trotte, in Grove, Dict. Mus., I. 219/2. They [bells] are first carefully secured by iron bolts and braces.
1885. Manch. Exam., 21 July, 6/5. The pieces of copper were furnished … with iron braces, intended to give them rigidity.
17. Building and Mech. A timber or scantling used in a roof or other trussed framework to stiffen the assemblage of pieces composing it; a piece of timber or iron used to strengthen the framework of a vessel, bridge, pier, etc.; a stay used to steady a printing press.
1530. Palsgr., 200/2. Brace of an house, brace.
1616. Bullokar, Braces, In building it signifieth the peeces of timber which bend forward on both sides and beare up the rafters.
1677. Moxon, Mech. Exerc. (1703), 141. The Quarters and Braces between the principal Posts … are fitted in.
1823. P. Nicholson, Pract. Build., 155. To keep the timbers from descending, two braces are introduced.
1838. F. Simms, Public Wks. Gt. Brit., II. 25. Diagonal braces of cast iron.
1841. Penny Cycl., XXI. 395/2. A method of counteracting the arching of a ship by braces of iron.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., 127. Braces are plates of iron … used to bind efficiently a weakness in a vessel.
V. Technical uses of obscure origin.
18. in Mining.
1881. Raymond, Mining Gloss, Brace, the mouth of a shaft.
19. in Agriculture.
1807. Vancouver, Agric. Devon (1813), 119. Near the point of the share, a comb or brace rises, and … is inserted about midway in the perpendicular bar.
VI. 20. Comb. and Attrib., as brace-button, braces-maker: also brace-bird, a decoy-bird secured by a brace (see 13); † brace-bone, the fibula; brace-drill, a boring tool shaped like a brace; brace-head, -key, an attachment at the top of a column of boring-rods, by means of which these are turned; brace-piece, Sc., a mantel-piece.
1885. Pall Mall Gaz., 10 Oct., 4/2. The *brace bird is generally a goldfinch.
1634. T. Johnson, Parey’s Chirurg., XV. ii. (1678), 327. The *brace-bone serves for the sustaining of the muscles, and not of the body as the leg-bone doth.
1875. Ure, Dict. Arts, I. 439. The *brace-head, or cross-head, with the four handles held by the borers.
1836. Dickens, Sk. Boz (1850), 149/2. A retired glove and *braces maker.
