BRACES, in the sea-language, are ropes belonging to all the yards of a ship, except the mizen, two on each yard, reeved through blocks that are fastened to pennants, feized 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-throats; 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-throats, when the ship fails close by a wind.

BRACES of a Coach, thick straps of leather on which it hangs.