braces

Everyday

1. Wires and small metal or clear pieces fixed to the teeth to make them straight over time. tree →
2. (British) Straps that go over the shoulders to hold trousers up; American «suspenders». tree →
3. Supports that hold something firmly in place, such as for a weak knee or a wall. tree →
4. The curly brackets { } used in writing and maths. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life, many children wear braces from an orthodontist; they must brush carefully and avoid sticky or hard sweets. In maths, braces { } show a set, like {1, 2, 3}. In safety, a knee or wrist brace supports an injured joint. Phrases: «wear braces», «get your braces off», «a pair of braces».

Examples

• My cousin got braces to fix her crooked teeth. tree →
• With braces, you must not eat toffee or chew ice. tree →
• Grandpa wears red braces to hold up his trousers. tree →
• The orthodontist tightens the braces every month. tree →
• After a sprain, she wore a brace on her ankle. tree →
• In maths, the set of even numbers below ten is written {2, 4, 6, 8}. tree →
• He smiled when his braces came off. tree →
• Clean braces carefully after every meal. tree →
• Besides this, he wore a bear-skin, and great, warm boots, while his sons went with their throats bare and wore no braces, for they were strong men. tree →

Note

Plural form, used for one set: «I wear braces», «My braces hurt». False friend across countries: in the UK «braces» hold trousers up, in the USA those are «suspenders»; and American «braces» on teeth is the same in the UK. Don't confuse braces { } with round brackets ( ) or square brackets [ ].