Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) That which holds anything tightly or supports it firmly; a bandage or a prop. 2. (n.) A cord, ligament, or rod, for producing or maintaining tension, as a cord on the side of a drum. 3. (n.) The state of being braced or tight; tension. 4. (n.) 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. (n.) 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. (n.) A rope reeved through a block at the end of a yard, by which the yard is moved horizontally; also, a rudder gudgeon. 7. (n.) A curved instrument or handle of iron or wood, for holding and turning bits, etc.; a bitstock. 8. (n.) A pair; a couple; as, a brace of ducks; now rarely applied to persons, except familiarly or with some contempt. 9. (n.) Straps or bands to sustain trousers; suspenders. 10. (n.) Harness; warlike preparation. 11. (n.) Armor for the arm; vantbrace. 12. (n.) The mouth of a shaft. 13. (v. t.) To furnish with braces; to support; to prop; as, to brace a beam in a building. 14. (v. t.) To draw tight; to tighten; to put in a state of tension; to strain; to strengthen; as, to brace the nerves. 15. (v. t.) To bind or tie closely; to fasten tightly. 16. (v. t.) To place in a position for resisting pressure; to hold firmly; as, he braced himself against the crowd. 17. (v. t.) To move around by means of braces; as, to brace the yards. 18. (v. i.) To get tone or vigor; to rouse one's energies; -- with up.

Multi-Version Concordance Brace (3 Occurrences) Job 38:3 Brace yourself like a man, for I will question you, then you answer me! (WEB NIV) Job 40:7 "Now brace yourself like a man. I will question you, and you will answer me. (WEB NIV) Nahum 2:1 He who dashes in pieces has come up against you. Keep the fortress! Watch the way! Strengthen your waist! Fortify your power mightily! (See NIV)