Brace Comes From the Latin for Arms
A brace supports or strengthens. The word comes from the Latin for two arms, which is why it also means a pair.
A brace supports something, and also means a pair. Both senses come from Latin *bracchia*, the two arms: arms hold and support, and they come in twos. The same root gives *embrace*, to take in the arms, and *bracelet*, a small arm ornament. In football a *brace* is two goals by one player, and in shooting a brace of pheasants is two birds.
- A support. *A roof brace.*
- A pair. *A brace of pheasants.*
- Two goals in a match. *He scored a brace.*
- Braces (British) — trouser straps, or dental appliances. *A pair of braces.*
- To brace — to prepare for impact. *Brace for landing.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | brace | A metal brace. |
| Plural | braces | Wearing braces. |
| Verb | brace | Brace yourself. |
| Adjective | bracing | Bracing sea air. |
| Latin | bracchia | The arms. |
- The wall needed a steel brace.Construction.
- He scored a brace in the second half.Football.
- Brace yourself for the news.The verb.
Braces mean different things
- Britain — braces hold up trousers; suspenders hold up stockings
- America — suspenders hold up trousers; braces are dental
- Dental braces — used in both countries
- Punctuation — curly brackets are also called braces
- Bracing — invigorating, usually of cold air
Old French *brace*, the two arms, from Latin *bracchia*, the plural of *bracchium*, arm. English has used it since the 1300s.
Why does a brace mean two?
Because the Latin root means the two arms. A pair of anything held together took the name.
Are braces the same in Britain and America?
No. British braces hold up trousers; American suspenders do that job, and braces there are usually dental.