Braces

How to spell braces

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce braces

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does braces mean?

1. nounA wire-and-bracket device fitted by an orthodontist to straighten teeth.
2. nounA pair of straps worn over the shoulders to hold up trousers, called suspenders in American English.
3. nounDevices or supports that strengthen, steady, or hold something firmly in place.
4. verbSteadies oneself or prepares for something difficult or sudden (third person singular).

Braces in a sentence

• noun

  The orthodontist fitted metal braces to correct her crowded teeth.

• noun

  He fastened his braces over his shoulders before putting on his waistcoat.

• noun

  The builders added steel braces to stop the old wall from leaning.

• verb

  She always braces herself against the rail when the train lurches.

• noun

  He wore braces for two years before his teeth were finally straight.

• noun

  The tailor sold matching ties and braces for the wedding party.

Where does braces come from?

Language of origin: French

The word traces back to the Latin bracchia, the plural of bracchium meaning 'arm', which in Vulgar Latin came to describe 'the two arms' and so 'an embrace' or 'a measure of an arm's span'. This passed into Old French as brace, where it carried senses of an enclosing clasp or pair, and English borrowed it in the 1300s. From the idea of two things gripping or holding together came a whole family of meanings: a fastening, a pair, a stiffening support, and the straps worn over the shoulders. Modern 'braces' simply pluralises that old 'arm/clasp' notion, which is why the word covers everything from straps that hold up trousers to wires that hold teeth in place. The shared root also explains relatives like 'embrace' and 'bracelet', both of which still hug the original sense of arms wrapping around something.

How the word is built

• brace (from Old French brace: the two arms, a clasp)
• -s (plural / third-person verb ending)