• a device fitted to something, in particular a weak or injured part of the body, to give support

Synonyms: support, caliper, truss, surgical appliance

• a pair of straps that pass over the shoulders and fasten to the top of trousers at the front and back to hold them up

• a pair of something, typically of birds or mammals killed in hunting

Synonyms: pair, couple, duo, twosome, duology

• either of the two marks { and }, used either to indicate that two or more items on one side have the same relationship as each other to the single item to which the other side points, or in pairs to show that words between them are connected

Synonyms: bracket, parenthesis

• make (a structure) stronger or firmer with wood, iron, or other forms of support

Synonyms: support, shore up, prop up, hold up, buttress, carry, bear, underpin

• prepare (oneself) for something difficult or unpleasant

Synonyms: prepare, get ready, make ready, gear up, nerve, steel, galvanize, gird, strengthen, fortify, bolster, buttress