or **BRASSE**, is also a foreign measure, answering to our fathom. See **FATHOM**.

in architecture, a piece of timber framed in with bevel joints, the use of which is to keep the building from wavering either way. When the brace is framed into the king-plates or principal rafters, it is by some called a strut.

**BRACES**, in the sea-language, are ropes belonging to all the yards of a ship, except the mizen, two to each yard, reeved through blocks that are fastened to pennants, seized to the yard arms. Their use is either to square, or traverse the yards. Hence to brace the yard, is to bring it to either side. All braces come aftward on, as the main-brace comes to the poop, the main-top-fall brace comes to the mizen-top, and thence to the main shrouds; the fore and fore-top-fall braces come down by the main and main-top-fall stays, and so of the rest. But the mizen-bowline serves to brace to the yard, and the cross-jack braces are brought forwards to the main shrouds, when the ship falls close by a wind.