n. 支柱, 曲柄, 支撑, 一对

vt. 紧缚, 支撑, 激励

vi. 打起精神

[计] 花括号

[医] 梏具, 支持

Brace \Brace\, n. [OF. brace, brasse, the two arms, embrace,
fathom, F. brasse fathom, fr. L. bracchia the arms (stretched
out), pl. of bracchium arm; cf. Gr. ?.]
1. That which holds anything tightly or supports it firmly; a
bandage or a prop.

2. A cord, ligament, or rod, for producing or maintaining
tension, as a cord on the side of a drum.

The little bones of the ear drum do in straining and
relaxing it as the braces of the war drum do in
that. --Derham.

3. The state of being braced or tight; tension.

The laxness of the tympanum, when it has lost its
brace or tension. --Holder.

4. (Arch. & Engin.) A piece of material used to transmit, or
change the direction of, weight or pressure; any one of
the pieces, in a frame or truss, which divide the
structure into triangular parts. It may act as a tie, or
as a strut, and serves to prevent distortion of the
structure, and transverse strains in its members. A boiler
brace is a diagonal stay, connecting the head with the
shell.

5. (Print.) A vertical curved line connecting two or more
words or lines, which are to be taken together; thus,
boll, bowl; or, in music, used to connect staves.

6. (Naut.) A rope reeved through a block at the end of a
yard, by which the yard is moved horizontally; also, a
rudder gudgeon.

7. (Mech.) A curved instrument or handle of iron or wood, for
holding and turning bits, etc.; a bitstock.

8. A pair; a couple; as, a brace of ducks; now rarely applied
to persons, except familiarly or with some contempt. ``A
brace of greyhounds.'' --Shak.

He is said to have shot . . . fifty brace of
pheasants. --Addison.

A brace of brethren, both bishops, both eminent for
learning and religion, now appeared in the church.
--Fuller.

But you, my brace of lords. --Shak.

9. pl. Straps or bands to sustain trousers; suspenders.

I embroidered for you a beautiful pair of braces.
--Thackeray.

10. Harness; warlike preparation. [Obs.]

For that it stands not in such warlike brace.
--Shak.

11. Armor for the arm; vantbrace.

12. (Mining) The mouth of a shaft. [Cornwall]

{Angle brace}. See under {Angle}.


Brace \Brace\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Braced}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Bracing}.]
1. To furnish with braces; to support; to prop; as, to brace
a beam in a building.

2. To draw tight; to tighten; to put in a state of tension;
to strain; to strengthen; as, to brace the nerves.

And welcome war to brace her drums. --Campbell.

3. To bind or tie closely; to fasten tightly.

The women of China, by bracing and binding them from
their infancy, have very little feet. --Locke.

Some who spurs had first braced on. --Sir W.
Scott.

4. To place in a position for resisting pressure; to hold
firmly; as, he braced himself against the crowd.

A sturdy lance in his right hand he braced.
--Fairfax.

5. (Naut.) To move around by means of braces; as, to brace
the yards.

{To brace about} (Naut.), to turn (a yard) round for the
contrary tack.

{To brace a yard} (Naut.), to move it horizontally by means
of a brace.

{To brace in} (Naut.), to turn (a yard) by hauling in the
weather brace.

{To brace one's self}, to call up one's energies. ``He braced
himself for an effort which he was little able to make.''
--J. D. Forbes.

{To brace to} (Naut.), to turn (a yard) by checking or easing
off the lee brace, and hauling in the weather one, to
assist in tacking.

{To brace up} (Naut.), to bring (a yard) nearer the direction
of the keel by hauling in the lee brace.

{To brace up sharp} (Naut.), to turn (a yard) as far forward
as the rigging will permit.


Brace \Brace\, v. i.
To get tone or vigor; to rouse one's energies; -- with up.
[Colloq.]