Brace

BRACE

-noun

1. a hand tool for drilling holes, with a socket to hold the drill at one end and a cranked handle by which the tool can be turned. In full: hand brace

2. something that steadies, binds, or holds up another thing

3. a structural member, such as a beam or prop, used to stiffen a framework

4. a sliding loop, usually of leather, attached to the cords of a drum: used to change its tension

5. a pair; two, especially of game birds

6. either of a pair of characters, { }, used for connecting lines of printing or writing or as a third sign of aggregation in complex mathematical or logical expressions that already contain parentheses and square brackets

7. Also called: accolade .  a line or bracket connecting two or more staves of music

8. (often plural) an appliance of metal bands and wires that can be tightened to maintain steady pressure on the teeth for correcting uneven alignment

9. (medicine) any of various appliances for supporting the trunk, a limb, or teeth

10. another word for bracer (archery, fencing) . a leather guard worn to protect the arm

11. (in square-rigged sailing ships) a rope that controls the movement of a yard and thus the position of a sail

12. (if plural) (British) .  a pair of straps worn over the shoulders for holding up the trousers

-verb (mainly trans)

13. to provide, strengthen, or fit with a brace

14. to steady or prepare (oneself or something) as before an impact

15. (also intr.) to stimulate; freshen; invigorate

16. to control the horizontal movement of (the yards of a square-rigged sailing ship)

Reading Proust

Bracing ourselves

Against compulsive braces

Original picture courtesy of Simon Vestdijk (and creative commons) - his picture has been cropped and words added.