# brace

/ˈbɹeɪs/ (US) · /bɹˈeɪs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/brace
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. to prepare for impact

verb · CEFR B2

to prepare yourself for something difficult, unpleasant, or a physical shock.

For teachers: to prepare oneself for a physical impact or a distressing situation. Often used reflexively or with 'for'.

- You should brace yourself for some bad news regarding the budget.
- The passengers were told to brace for impact as the pilot prepared for an emergency landing on the short runway.

### 2. to support or steady

verb · CEFR B2

to push your body against something to stay steady, or to support a structure.

For teachers: to make a structure or a limb rigid or steady by providing support or tension.

- He braced his feet against the wall to get more leverage.
- Engineers had to brace the old bridge with steel beams before the heavy machinery could cross safely.

### 3. dental/medical support

noun · CEFR B1

a metal device worn on the teeth to make them straight, or a support for a weak joint.

For teachers: an orthopaedic or dental appliance used to support, align, or hold a part of the body in a fixed position.

- The dentist said I have to wear a brace for two years to fix my teeth.
- After the surgery, he was required to wear a heavy leg brace to prevent any lateral movement of the knee joint.

Usage: Often used in the plural ('braces') when referring to dental equipment.

### 4. clothing support

noun · CEFR B2 · British English

straps used to hold up a person's trousers.

For teachers: a pair of straps passing over the shoulders to hold up trousers.

- He wore a smart suit with bright red braces.
- The elderly gentleman preferred silk braces to a leather belt, claiming they were far more comfortable for all-day wear.

Teaching tip: In American English, these are almost always called 'suspenders'.

### 5. a pair

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

a word for two of something, especially birds or animals caught for food.

For teachers: a pair of like things; specifically used in the context of game birds or certain sports.

- The hunter returned with a brace of pheasants.
- The striker scored a quick brace in the first half, effectively ending the opposition's hopes of a comeback.

### 6. punctuation

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

the symbols { or } used to group words or lines of music together.

For teachers: a character used to connect two or more lines of writing or music, or to group items in mathematics and computing.

- Make sure you close the brace at the end of the code block.
- The programmer spent an hour debugging the script only to find a missing closing brace in the main function.

## Examples

- He had to wear a neck brace after the car accident.
- The dentist recommended a metal brace to correct the alignment of her lower teeth over the next eighteen months.
- Engineers installed a heavy steel brace to reinforce the aging bridge against the increased pressure of the rising river water during the spring floods.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.