Part 1332

<hw>Brace</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>v. t.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p. p.</tt> <er>Braced</er> <tt>(#)</tt>; <tt>p. pr. & vb. n.</tt> <er>Bracing</er>.]</wordforms> <p><b>1.</b> <def>To furnish with braces; to support; to prop; <as>as, to <ex>brace</ex> a beam in a building</as>.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>To draw tight; to tighten; to put in a state of tension; to strain; to strengthen; <as>as, to <ex>brace</ex> the nerves</as>.</def>

<blockquote>And welcome war to <b>brace</b> her drums. <i>Campbell.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>To bind or tie closely; to fasten tightly.</def>

<blockquote>The women of China, by <b>bracing</b> and binding them from their infancy, have very little feet. <i>Locke.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>Some who spurs had first <b>braced</b> on. <i> Sir W. Scott.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>4.</b> <def>To place in a position for resisting pressure; to hold firmly; <as>as, he <ex>braced</ex> himself against the crowd</as>.</def>

<blockquote>A sturdy lance in his right hand he <b>braced</b>. <i>Fairfax.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>5.</b> <fld>(Naut.)</fld> <def>To move around by means of braces; <as>as, to <ex>brace</ex> the yards</as>.</def>

<cs><col>To brace about</col> <fld>(Naut.)</fld>, <cd>to turn (a yard) round for the contrary tack.</cd> -- <col>To brace a yard</col> <fld>(Naut.)</fld>, <cd>to move it horizontally by means of a brace.</cd> -- <col>To brace in</col> <fld>(Naut.)</fld>, <cd>to turn (a yard) by hauling in the weather brace.</cd> -- <col>To brace one's self</col>, <cd>to call up one's energies. "He <i>braced himself<i> for an effort which he was little able to make."</cd></cs>

<i>J. D. Forbes.</i>

<cs>- <col>To brace to<col> (<fld>Naut</fld>.), <cd>to turn (a yard) by checking or easing off the lee brace, and hauling in the weather one, to assist in tacking.</cd> -- <col>To brace up</col> (<fld>Naut</fld>.), <cd>to bring (a yard) nearer the direction of the keel by hauling in the lee brace.</cd> -- <col>To brace up sharp</col> (<fld>Naut</fld>.), <cd>to turn (a yard) as far forward as the rigging will permit.</cd></cs>

<h1>Brace</h1> <Xpage=173>

<hw>Brace</hw>, <tt>v. i.</tt> <def>To get tone or vigor; to rouse one's energies; -with <i>up</i>.</def> <mark>[Colloq.]</mark>

<h1>Bracelet</h1> <Xpage=173>

<hw>Brace"let</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[F. <ets>bracelet</ets>, dim. of OF. <ets>bracel</ets> armlet, prop. little arm, dim. of <ets>bras</ets> arm, fr. L. <ets>bracchium</ets>. See <er>Brace</er>,<tt>n.</tt>]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>An ornamental band or ring, for the wrist or the arm; in modern times, an ornament encircling the wrist, worn by women or girls.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>A piece of defensive armor for the arm.</def>

<i>Johnson.</i>

<h1>Bracer</h1> <Xpage=173>

<hw>Bra"cer</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <p><b>1.</b> <def>That which braces, binds, or makes firm; a band or bandage.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>A covering to protect the arm of the bowman from the vibration of the string; also, a brassart.</def>

<i>Chaucer.</i>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>A medicine, as an astringent or a tonic, which gives tension or tone to any part of the body.</def>

<i>Johnson.</i>

<h1>Brach</h1> <Xpage=173>

<hw>Brach</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[OE. <ets>brache</ets> a kind of scenting hound or setting dog, OF. <ets>brache</ets>, <?/ <ets>braque</ets>, fr. OHG. <ets>braccho</ets>, G. <ets>bracke</ets>; possibly akin to E. <ets>fragrant</ets>, fr. L. <ets>fragrare</ets> to smell.]</ety> <def>A bitch of the hound kind.</def>

<i>Shak.</i>

<h1>Brachelytra</h1> <Xpage=173>