brace

Sense 1 noun

a support that steadies or strengthens something else

he wore a brace on his knee

Sense 2 verb

prepare (oneself) for something unpleasant or difficult

Sense 3 noun

two items of the same kind

Sense 4 verb

support or hold steady and make steadfast, with or as if with a brace

brace your elbows while working on the potter's wheel

Sense 5 noun

a set of two similar things considered as a unit

Sense 6 verb

support by bracing

Sense 7 noun

either of two punctuation marks ({ or }) used to enclose textual material

Sense 8 verb

cause to be alert and energetic

Coffee and tea stimulate me

Sense 9 noun

a rope on a square-rigged ship that is used to swing a yard about and secure it

Sense 10 noun

elastic straps that hold trousers up (usually used in the plural)

Sense 11 noun

an appliance that corrects dental irregularities

Sense 12 noun

a carpenter's tool having a crank handle for turning and a socket to hold a bit for boring

Sense 13 noun

a structural member used to stiffen a framework