Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To set free by removing bands or braces.
  • transitive verb To release from tension; relax.
  • transitive verb To make slack; weaken.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To remove the points or braces of; free from tension or constraint; loose; relax: as, to unbrace a drum; to unbrace the arms; to unbrace the nerves.
  • To carve; disjoint.
  • To grow flaccid; relax; hang loose.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To free from tension; to relax; to loose.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive To undo, unfasten; to relax, loosen.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb undo the ties of
  • verb remove a brace or braces from
  • verb remove from tension

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From un- +‎ brace.

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Examples

  • ÂÂCaptain Jax waited until he was sure the worst was over before instructing the muscles in his body to unbrace themselves from his seat, and it took some time before those muscles began to obey.

    365 tomorrows » 2006 » September : A New Free Flash Fiction SciFi Story Every Day 2006

  • By its minute glow, she located the nightrobe the Prince had included in her luggage, an amazing confection of gauze and lace, and went to unbrace the chair from the door.

    The Silent Tower Hambly, Barbara 1986

  • Together all set their sheets, and all at once slacken their canvas to left and again to right; together they brace and unbrace the yard-arms aloft; prosperous gales waft the fleet along.

    The Aeneid of Virgil 70 BC-19 BC Virgil

  • Edwin, sunk in weariness, said little in opposition; and having suffered Monteith to take away his sword and to unbrace his plated vest, dropped at once on the straw in a profound sleep.

    The Scottish Chiefs 1875

  • But its touch may unbrace not the strengths of the seven

    A Midsummer Holiday and Other Poems Algernon Charles Swinburne 1873

  • Then Theodoric sat down and began to unbrace his adversary's armour; and while he was doing this, Queen Chriemhild came into the hall with a blazing torch, which she thrust into the mouth of one after another of the prostrate warriors, her brothers, to see if they were already dead, and to slay them if they were still living.

    Theodoric the Goth Barbarian Champion of Civilisation Thomas Hodgkin 1872

  • Slice brawn, spoil a hen, unbrace a mallard, untache a curlew, border a pasty, thigh small birds, splat a pike, fin a chub, barb a lobster

    Early English Meals and Manners Frederick James Furnivall 1867

  • Let people say what they please of the fine bracing weather of a cold climate, I have never seen any truth-speaking persons who, on coming fairly to the trial, did not complain of a cold frosty morning as a very great nuisance, or who did not cling eagerly to the fire to unbrace themselves again.

    The Lieutenant and Commander Hall, Basil, 1788-1844 1862

  • Gather those broad leaves, and all the rest, growing under the brushwood; unbrace his armour.

    Imaginary Conversations and Poems A Selection Walter Savage Landor 1819

  • Edwin, sunk in weariness, said little in opposition; and having suffered Monteith to take away his sword and to unbrace his plated vest, dropped at once on the straw in a profound sleep.

    The Scottish Chiefs Jane Porter 1813

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