brace
noun
°(obsolete) Armor for the arm; vambrace.
°(obsolete) A measurement of length, originally representing a person's outstretched arms.
verb
°To prepare for something bad, as an impact or blow. All hands, brace for impact!.
°(nautical) To swing round the yards of a square rigged ship, using braces, to present a more efficient sail surface to the direction of the wind.